The Chosen Undead And The Calamity Dragon
by TenebrisScholar
Summary: After defeating Kalameet in her den, the Chosen Undead takes her only egg and is on the verge of destroying it. However, wounded and dying, Kalameet uses the last of her strength to send them away, in a last ditch effort to save her egg.
1. Chapter 1

**My notes: This is a fun story to write, so far. I can't wait to post more. Anyways, as usual, I have no schedule and no idea how frequently I'll update this, though I do hope to finish it. Anyways, leave a review and tell me what you think of it so far. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Souls or the Inheritance Cycle.**

Kalameet fell to her side near the mouth of the cave, too wounded to continue. Still she struggled to get up and keep fighting, losing her strength and collapsing to the ground each time. Eventually she just gave up and lay still.

James tore his Dragonslayer Spear out of her side and limped towards her head. Her single orange eye blinked towards him, full of sadness and fear, as he made his way to where she could see him. Her head twitched and she let out a pleading whine as he rested the butt of his spear against the ground and used it to hold himself up.

He just stood there staring at the once mighty beast, amazed that he had somehow managed to survive that battle. He had tracked her back to her cave after she flew away during their last encounter. That was one of the biggest mistakes he had ever made. If she was calm in their last battle, she was absolutely vicious in this one. He had no idea how he managed to survive.

He reached out and patted her gently on the muzzle. "You fought well. You deserve a rest." He told her respectfully. A weak whimper was her only response. Sighing, James stuffed his Dragonslayer spear back into his inventory pouch and pulled out his Silver Knight straight sword and Shield. Sheathing his sword at his hip and putting his shield on his back.

Kalameet was already fading fast and would die soon, now came the worst part of this entire ordeal. Turning away from her he began limping toward the cave, his Silver Knight armor clanking with every step, causing her to flail and struggle once more. If she had been fighting this hard to defend her den, that could only mean one thing. She must have lain eggs inside.

He didn't have to go very far inside before he saw a large nest holding a single egg that was bigger then his head. It's shell was smooth, shiny, and almost pure black in color except for a few faint orange veins webbing across it. It looked absolutely beautiful but couldn't just risk letting it hatch and potentially having another dragon roaming around terrorizing the land if it some how managed to survive on it's own until it was fully grown. He would have to smash it.

He could hear Kalameet hissing and growling at him and her struggling growing more frantic the closer he got to her egg. Finally getting close enough, he reached out and picked up the egg. Suddenly an ear shattering roar rang out through the cave.

Still holding the egg, he turned around and saw Kalameet standing at the entrance of the cave leaning against one of the walls for support, dark crimson blood dripped from her mouth and wounds as she panted in a mixture of pain and effort. Her eye was now blazing with magic, filling the cave with fiery orange light.

James began chuckling grimly to himself. He was impressed. Even now, mere inches from Nito's cold embrace, she still found all this strength just to protect her egg. How long could it last though?

Pointing her snout first at the egg in his hands before jerking her head to point at the empty nest behind him, she roared once more.

James looked at the nest for a moment before looking at Kalameet again and shaking his head remorsefully. He knew she wanted him to put her egg back, but that wasn't really an option for him. Many would suffer because of him, if he didn't get rid of it.

Kalameet's eye grew dim and she whimpered pleadingly. When he still didn't move, her eye grew brighter once more, and she moaned sadly.

Suddenly an orange glow surrounded James. Looking down at himself he saw that he and the egg were both starting to vanish. He began to feel a sensation akin to that he felt when warping, but vastly different somehow. Then the world shifted around him.

When the Undead finally vanished along with her egg, Kalameet collapsed once more. Having used up the last of her remaining strength in sending them away, everything began to grow blurry.

She had hoped to just send the Undead away without her egg, so she could return it to her nest, but as weak as she was she lacked the control she needed to do so. As such she could only hope they ended up in separate places. Most creatures knew better then to bother a dragon egg, so as long as hers didn't wind up with the Undead, and no other humans discovered it, it should be safe until it was ready to hatch.

Her thoughts were consumed with worry and fear for her egg and potential hatchling as she closed her eye and everything finally went black.

(Line Break)

James had no idea where he was. He was in some kind of mountainous forest, but that's all he could tell. He didn't recognize any of the plants at all, even the trees were all vastly different from any he had seen before, even when he had to visit other kingdoms, including the Eastern Lands, when he was still a knight of Astora. The terrain didn't even match any known forested areas he remembered seeing on any maps before either.

All in all, this entire place confused him. Where on Earth had Kalameet sent him? Was this even Earth? Did other worlds besides Earth even exist, and if they did, how could a dying dragon be powerful enough to send him to one? He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

It wasn't Lordran, and that's all that mattered. He would need to get back as soon as possible, but first he had to deal with this egg. He looked down at his arms only to discover the egg was missing.

His eyes widened in shock. How had he not realized it was missing, sooner?! "Gods damn it to Izalith!" He cursed. Not wanting to explore this forest while his armor was damaged and he was injured, and not wanting to waste his Estus, he reached into his inventory pouch and pulled out a humanity sprite and some repair powder. Crushing it in his hand, he could feel himself healing almost instantly. He quickly threw the repair powder over his damaged armor

Now that he was no longer as injured and his armor was now fully intact, he began searching the forest. After about an hour of this he was beginning to grow worried Kalameet may have intentionally separated them. If she did, who knew where it might have ended up? It could be anywhere from the Firelink Shrine to Carim for all he knew.

After yet another hour of wandering aimlessly through the forest, he was on the verge of giving up, when he saw a glint out of the corner of his eye. Walking to see what it was, he was relived to find the egg laying in the branches of a bush, off the ground. Grabbing it with both hands, he picked it up once more.

Turning to a near by tree, he raised the egg above his head and prepared to smash it. He hesitated for a moment, safely lowering it back down to chest height. He just couldn't bring himself to do it for some reason.

He didn't understand. Back in the cave he wouldn't have hesitated to destroy it if he had the chance. If Kalameet hadn't intervened he would have done so immediately and been on his way. What could possibly have changed? It was like something in his mind was telling him not to, that he would regret it if he did.

Maybe it was how much effort Kalameet had put into protecting it even while she was dying, maybe this strange land was starting to get to him, or maybe he was just going soft. Whatever the reason, he still couldn't do it.

Since he wasn't going to break it, he decided he may as well return it to it's nest. Thoroughly ashamed of himself, knowing how many more people were going to die and go hollow because of his actions, he held the egg in one arm while reaching into his inventory pouch with the other. Pulling out a homeward bone, he crushed it in his hand and waited to warp back to the bonfire.

A minute went by and nothing happened. Scratching the back of his helmet in confusion, he pulled out another homeward bone and repeated the process. Still nothing happened. Huffing in irritation, he raised his right hand, still holding the egg with his left, and activated his Dark Sign.

Suddenly an odd feeling appeared on the back of his hand. It was his Dark Sign. It felt... confused, for lack of a better word. It was like it couldn't find any bonfires whatsoever, let alone the last one he rested at. It was as if the First Fire didn't even exist. After a moment, the feeling faded and still nothing happened.

"What in the Abyss is going on?" James wondered, shaking his head in confusion. It seemed he couldn't just warp back to the bonfire like he hoped. That meant he would have to make his way there on foot. First though, he needed to get down this mountain and out of the forest so he could find a village and figure out where he was.

Unsure what else to do with the egg, he stuffed it into his inventory pouch. When that was finished, he started working his way down the mountain.

After a few hours of walking he finally noticed it was getting darker. Looking up through the trees he saw the sun had moved and was getting lower in the sky. "By the gods." gasped in amazement. He hadn't seen either the Sun or Moon move at all since the gods broke time what must have been nearly a century ago. The last time he remembered them ever moving like this was the day he was knighted by the King of Astora.

Ever since then, it has always been perpetually night or day in different areas. This had to be the only place left in the world where time still flowed normally. Now that he thought about it, the fact time flowed normally here may have been why he wasn't able to warp back to the bonfire. He wasn't sure, but it was the best explanation he could come up with, currently.

Deciding to get back on track, he continued forward once more. It wasn't long before the dense trees started thinning out, the slope of the mountain began growing shallower, and best of all James began to see plumes of smoke in the distance. Whenever there was smoke there was bound to be a village or city.

His hopes were proven true an he finally reached the bottom of the mountain along with the end of the forest. In the distance he could see a walled city several miles from what looked to be a massive jagged black rock formation piercing high into the sky. For some reason, the formation lended an ominous atmosphere to the city. He didn't know what it was, but he could tell there was something wrong with the formation. Just looking at it sent chills down his spine.

Shaking it off, he finally noticed the massive lake between him and the city. He looked for a way to go around the lake. There was none he could see that were any easier then just using a dead tree as a raft to cross the river. He did see a number of boats on the lake, however. If he could catch one's attention, he may be able to pay the owner to take him across.

He walked up to the shore of the lake and began waving to to the closest boat he could see, his armor flashing in the slowly fading sunlight. "Hey, you there! Over here!" he shouted in an attempt to catch the owner's attention.

The owner jumped in startlement and turned to face him, fishing rod in hand. "What?!" He yelled angerly back at James. "Can't you see I'm fishing?!"

"Indeed, but I must get to the city across this lake and I would like to hire you to take me there!" James continued to shout so the fisherman could hear him, since the boat was still some distance away.

The fisherman rowed up to the shore, a curious expression on his old and withered face. "You want to hire me, eh? How much are you paying?" He asked.

Knowing humans didn't use souls for currency like the undead did, James reached into his inventory pouch and took out a couple silver coins. "How about two silver?" He asked, holding the coins out so the fisherman could see them.

"Do you take me for a fool? Those aren't real coin! The picture is all wrong!" The Fisherman stated angerly.

"Oh? Well even so, they are solid silver so they should still be worth something." James replied. Reaching into his inventory pouch once more with his free hand he pulled out a pendant. He was reluctant to give it away since it brought back fond memories of his home before becoming undead, but he had to convince the fisherman some how. "What if I offered you this as well? It should also fetch you a few coins."

The fisherman huffed in irritation. "Let me take a look at it." He grumbled, snatching the pendant from Jame's hand. After examining it for a moment he stuffed it in one of his trouser pockets. "Alright, fine. Hand over the coins and get in. I'll take you to the front gate." He stated holding out his hand to take the coins. "At least it's more then I usually make." He mumbled under his breath.

"Thank you, sir." James stated, handing him the coins as he stepped into the wooden boat. Being careful not to knock over the bucket of fish sitting on the floor, he sat down in the seat opposite of the fisherman.

Taking the coins, the fisherman grabbed the ores once more and shoved off. They were finally on their way to the city.


	2. Chapter 2

**My notes: I know I'm uploading this really soon after the first chapter, but what can I say? It has me intrigued. Anyways, please leave a review telling me what you think and any critiques you may have. It should help me improve my writing skills a lot. Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Souls or the Inheritance Cycle.**

The entire ride was spent in silence. Neither of them had anything to say to each other. When they finally reached the other side of the lake, the sun was about to set. James thanked the fisherman once more before quickly stepping out of the boat and heading for the city gate.

Joining the crowd of people on the road to get in, he couldn't help but notice what looked to be a massive cathedral looming above the ugly walls of the city. Looking at it architecture he couldn't help but be reminded of the massive black mountain he saw earlier. He wondered which of the gods they worshiped there. It wasn't designed like any cathedral he had seen in the past.

Finally he reached the city gates. The ten guards stationed on either side of the gate eyed him curiously as he walked in but did nothing to stop him from entering.

He was rather surprised by how run down the city was. The air smelled absolutely horrendous. The houses were tall and thin, leaning over the narrow crowded roads and blocking out the sky so the city had to be light entirely by lanterns. Men, women, and even children were on their knees begging at the sides of the streets. It was truly disgusting in every sense of the word.

As he continued walking around he finally entered what looked to be the wealthier part of the city. It was still horrible, but it wasn't as bad as the rest of the city seemed to be. Eventually he found what he was looking for. On the side of the road a trader had set up a stall and was selling many different items from jewelry to cookware.

Reaching into his inventory pouch he pulled out a short sword, leaving it in it's scabbard, and approached the stall. Since his coin was apparently no good here, he would have to trade some of his equipment for more. Fortunately, he had a surplus of short swords and arming swords after collecting them from all the hollows he killed.

Short Sword in hand, he stepped up to the trader. "G'day m'lord. How may I help you?" The trader asked, bowing his head as if to a Carim noble.

James's mouth tightened in distaste, but he ultimately ignored the gesture. "Good day, to you as well." He greeted, trying to be friendly. "How much can you give me for this short sword?" He asked, holding it out for the trader.

"Let me take a look at it." They said, taking the the sword. Taking out a small magnification device, similar to what jewelers used, the merchant began examining the scabbard, glancing over the steel caps at either end and paying special attention to the stitching running along the back which held it together. Once they appeared satisfied, the trader moved on to glancing over the cross guard, hilt, and pommel, before putting away the magnification device.

Removing the scabbard, they began examining the blade. They looked closely at the few scratches the sword had, and checked the edges for any damage. Grabbing the tip, they flexed it some what. Finally they took out a small file and ran it along the edge, it skated across easily without digging into the metal. Seemingly satisfied, they put the file away and sheathed the blade once more.

Setting the sword down in front of them, the trader said, "Over all, it seems to be a fine blade. It seems to be made of good quality steel, it's straight as can be but still has some flex to it, and the only damage I could find seems to be purely cosmetic, even the scabbard is in excellent condition. Overall, I say it would be worth about one hundred crowns." Pulling out a small bag made of cloth, they unlocked a wooden chest next to them and began filling the bag with gold coins. Pulling on the string at the top of the bag to close it, they shut the chest and set the gold on the counter next to the sword.

"Feel free to count it if you like." The trader stated, motioning to the bag of coins.

James took the coins and said, "That is quite alright." He didn't really want to bother having to count them. He would just take the trader's word for it. "One more thing, before I go. Might you by any chance have a map I could purchase?"

"Indeed, I do." The merchant stated, pulling out a large roll of paper and setting it on the counter. "One crown."

"Thank you, sir." James stated, taking a single coin back out of the bag the trader gave him and placing it on the counter. With that he took the map and walked away.

Stuffing the map and bag of coins into his inventory pouch, he began searching for a place he could sit down and rest for a moment. While exploring the city, he came across a man standing on a stage in front of a small crowd. Next to him on the stage were people in chains, men, women, and children alike. Most were either crying or looked terrified. It didn't look like it was an execution though. The man pulled one of the people in chains up to him and spoke to the crowd. It was then James realized what was going on. This was a slave auction.

Rage boiled inside of him and he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. It was absolutely appalling. Had these bastards no regard for other human beings? Slavery was outlawed in even the lowest and most vile of Kingdoms, and had been for centuries. The gods themselves had demanded it. He wanted to slaughter all of these inhuman scum where they stood.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to turn and walk away. Since they were selling them in the open like this, in clear view of the guards, he had to assume slave trading was legal here. As such, he couldn't attack the slavers without the city guards trying to stop and arrest or kill him. He didn't want to have to fight off an army of angry guards and be forced to flee the city as a criminal. As much as he hated it, walking away was his best option.

He still needed to find a place to stop and look at his map, so he continued searching. Eventually he came across a dingy looking tavern with a sleeping guard standing leaning against the wall next to the door. The smell of booze overpowered even the unnatural stench of the city. It wasn't his preferred place to stop but it would have to do for now.

Walking in, he took a seat at a vacant table and took off his helmet setting it next to him on the table, revealing his features. He had silver-grey eyes, pale skin, and long wild black hair, a number of scars marred his face. Soon a serving woman came up to him and asked, "What'll you have to drink?"

James thought for a moment. He was undead so he didn't really need to food or drink and he was immune to alcohol so he couldn't get drunk. Any food or drink he did consume would just go into healing any wounds he may have, and since he was still a bit wounded, even after using that humanity sprite earlier, it was probably a good idea to get something.

"I'll have a mead, please." He requested.

The serving lady nodded and walked off towards the bar. Returning moments later with a wooden mug. Setting it down on the table, she went to attend the other customers.

Taking out his new map he unrolled it across the table and set his mug and helmet on the corners to hold it down. He was immediately confused by it as soon as he looked at it. At the top it read, Alagaësia, which he had never heard of before. More confusing was the land it's self. He had never seen it on any maps of the world before, which was surprising since, judging by the distance scale at the bottom, it had to be at least a quarter or so of an entire continent.

He felt his heart sink in realization. He truly was in a different world. That's all that could explain it. From the strange plants, to time flowing normally, to being unable to warp, to the lack of the bonfires or even the First Fire, and finally this map. The evidence was difficult for him to deny.

Now that he thought about it, he realized even the entire atmosphere was different! Even in this rat hole of a city, it felt brighter and more alive. Where as in his world there was always this dark looming feeling of danger and hopelessness. It was like comparing the Abyss with Anor Londo, before the gods abandoned it.

What in Gwyn's name was he going to do? His entire purpose had just been erased before his very eyes. Since he was trapped in this world, he could no longer hunt the final two bearers of the Lord Souls nor relight the First Fire and end the curse. That meant he had no reason to keep going and stay sane anymore. He would go hollow in a matter of days if he couldn't either find a way back to his world or find a new purpose.

Grabbing his mug, he took a gulp of his mead before setting it back down. Holding the sides of his head with his hands, he rested his elbows on the table trying to come up with either a way to avoid going hollow or to get back to Lordran. To say he was stressed was an understatement.

"My brother has been talking to some Varden agents here in the city and is thinking of joining them, and I'm thinking of going with him. Honestly, I'm fed up with that bastard of a King. Everyone knows he's mad." a man slurred drunkenly to his friend.

"Hey, quite down! You don't want the soldiers hearing you say that." Said his friend, who was much less drunk.

"Yeah, yeah." the drunken man grumbled in annoyance, taking another swig of his drink. "I'm just sick of living in fear of that tyrant. You know he's been around since the time of the riders right? They say he even used to be one, until he went crazy and killed them all." He spoke more quietly this time.

Unable to help but overhear their conversation, James became curious. A group of what he assumed were rebels fighting to overthrow a mad tyrant? That was interesting. Assuming this King was as bad as these men said, which he found easy to believe due to that slave trade he had stumbled across earlier, He may have just found a new, temporary, purpose.

Standing up he walked over to the two men's table. "Excuse me, sir, I don't mean to trouble you, but you said you were thinking about joining the Varden, correct?" He asked the drunk man, attempting to speak quietly so as not to be overheard.

"Hm? What's it to you? Are you one of the King's men?" The drunk man questioned suspiciously. His friend just sat there drinking silently, not wanting to get involved.

"No. I'm a mercenary, and no friend to the King. I was just wondering, how might I go about joining the Varden myself? Surely your brother must have told you?" James inquired.

"Of course he did, but what do I get for telling you? Information like this aint' cheap you know." The drunk man stated, a greedy look in his eye.

James reached into his inventory pouch and grabbed a hand full of coins from the bag the merchant traded him earlier and set them on the table.

The man scooped them up eagerly and stored them in his own coin purse. "Pleasure doing business with you." He slurred cheerfully. "Let me see that map on your table and I'll show you where to go."

James pulled the map off of his table and handed it to the man.

"So we're here, in Dras-Leona." The drunkard explained, pointing at the map. "The Varden is in a Dwarven city under the Beor Mountains called Farthen Dûr. You see where this river on the other side of the Hadarac Desert starts, blow this waterfall? That's where the entrance to Farthen Dûr is. Once you get there, go to the right side of the water fall, knock on the cliff, and say, 'Eka eddyr aí fricai eom du Varden'. I have no idea what it means, but after saying that they should let you in."

James memorized the phrase in his head. "Thank you, sir. Have a nice night." He stated, taking his map back. Rolling the map back up and stuffing it in his inventory pouch, he went back to his table and downed what was left of his mead. Setting some coins on the table as payment for his drink, he put his helmet back on and exited the tavern and began making his way back to the city gate.

It was dark by the time he left the city, but he didn't want to spend any more time there then he had to, besides, undead didn't need sleep. As soon as he left the gate he began heading in the direction of the Hadarac Dessert. He would probably stop and make a camp fire at some point to wait out the rest of the night, but for now he just wanted to get as much distance between himself and Dras-Leona as possible. This city was deplorable. He would rather stay in Blight Town then spend another minute here. Hopefully the other cities in this world were not as bad as this one was, otherwise he may just have to burn them all to the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

**My notes: At first I was debating whether or not I should give the hatchling a Dark Sign after it was bonded with James, as a kind of curse transfer thing, but I decided against it for now. I might have them get one later on but we'll see, I may just skip that entirely. Also, do you guys think the hatchling should be male or female? Personally, I'm leaning towards female but what do you guys think? Anyways, please leave a review telling me what you think of this chapter, I would love to hear your feedback. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Souls or the Inheritance Cycle.**

It had been a few hours since James left Dras-Leona and the moon was high. He had pushed himself hard to get as far from Dras-Leona as he could and was now miles away. Having found a good spot to stop in a clearing, he set up a small camp fire and used his pyromancy to light it. He was now sitting down leaning against a tree next to the camp fire, looking at Kalameet's egg in the flickering light of the flames. The fire's glow accentuated the tiny orange veins that webbed across the surface of the shell.

What was he going to do with this thing? It was like two different sides of himself were waging a brutal war over the matter, and they were in a stalemate. He couldn't destroy it, yet he couldn't let it hatch either.

Since he was trapped in this world he couldn't return it to it's nest like he was planning before, but he couldn't just keep it either. If he did, it would eventually hatch and then what? Would he just kill the hatchling, or be forced to raise it? Could a human even raise a dragon? What would happen once it grew older? He couldn't just leave it behind either though, otherwise it would still eventually hatch and begin terrorizing the land once it was fully grown. He couldn't allow that. Still, he couldn't bring himself to smash it.

It seemed there was literally nothing he could do. Every time he thought of something he had to reject it almost immediately for some reason or another. Damn it to the abyss, what was he supposed to do? He may have been undead, but he was still only human. He wished the gods could give him a sign to guide him, but they didn't even exist in this world.

He sighed in a bitter mixture of remorse and shame. Setting it down next to him so it was also leaning against the tree, he stared into the flames of the camp fire. Occasionally he took a few sticks from the pile he had gathered and threw them in whenever it started to get low. He stayed like this for hours, trying to come up with a solution for this issue.

After awhile the moon went down and the sun was starting to come up. It was then he finally noticed some odd squeaking sound coming from somewhere. Looking around he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. He was about to write it of as a squirrel when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking, he saw the egg rocking and wobbling on the ground, having rolled away from him. His heart immediately sank as he realized where the squeaking was coming from.

"That's just great..." He mumbled to himself sarcastically. He was too late. He should have destroyed it when he had the chance. Now it was about to hatch and there was nothing he could do.

A small crack appeared on the shell for a moment before it burst into a huge crack. Finally a hole formed in it as a minuscule head forced it's way through the cracked shell, and a tiny figure spilled out on to the ground.

It was covered in a slimy membrane like substance which it quickly began to lick off. When it was finished, a tiny dragon stood squeaking in front of him freshly hatched. It was just a bit longer then his fore arm, it's shiny scales were as black as the Abyss, and it had small needle-like fangs that were visible every time it squeaked. It swung it's head around and finally saw him. It stared at him curiously with a single fire orange eye in the center of it's head, and began cautiously approaching him. It was the spitting image of Kalameet.

Huffing in resignation, James leaned towards it from where he sat and slowly held out his right hand.

Once it was close enough it smelled his fingers curiously. Squeaking and twitching it's tail as if it just discovered something interesting, it scurried closer and bit the edge of the metal cuff of his gauntlet. It tugged back and pulled off the gauntlet before he had time to react. With the gauntlet now laying on the ground, the hatchling lowered it's head and began smelling the back of his hand.

"Ah, now I understand. You want to see this." James said, turning his hand over and revealing the mystical burning black ring that was his Dark Sign. "I suppose you could sense it's magic or something, right?" He asked.

It ignored him, examining the mark intently. After a moment, it squeaked, losing interest in the mark, and happily began nuzzling his exposed forearm with it's head.

"Well you're cute at least, I'll give you that." James stated. Cautiously he moved his hand and gently touched it's back, in an attempt to pet it. Suddenly an explosion of icy energy surged into his hand and raced up his arm, burning through his veins like lightning. He reeled back, slamming his back against the tree and grasping his forearm with his off hand. The quick movements startled the hatchling, causing them to squeak in protest.

Jame's entire body burned with pain. He struggled to move, but he was completely paralyzed. He instinctively knew this was magic, but it felt far different then any magic he had ever encountered before. After awhile the pain subsided and he found himself able to move once more. He let out a string of curses. Oddly, the hand he had touched the dragon with was still numb and paralyzed.

Curious he raised his hand and looked at his palm. He was surprised to find the center of his hand shimmering. After a moment it stopped shimmering and instead formed a diffused white oval. It still itched and burned, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Staring at the silvery mark on his hand, he wondered what in the Abyss just happened. Something lightly brushed against his mind, like a child testing something to see if it was safe. It happened once more, but this time it was like a tendril of thought through which he could feel growing curiosity. It was as if a barrier around his thoughts had crumbled, and he was free to reach out with his mind. It was an odd feeling, but he didn't shut himself off from it.

He lowered his hand and looked at the hatchling which was now standing directly in front of him staring back curiously, with it's single orange eye. It rose to it's hind legs, flapping it's wings a bit, before falling down on his legs with it's front claws and squeaking at him. The tendril of thought changed slightly, now James could feel ravenous hunger through it. It had to be the hatchling.

He chuckled and once more reached out to pet it with his freshly marked hand. Stroking it's back, he could feel the mark tingling on contact. "Right, you just hatched. You must be starving." He stated. It squeaked in response. "Then let's go catch you some thing to eat." He told it. Leaning over, he picked up his gauntlet and put it back on before standing up.

Reaching into his inventory pouch, he took out a few throwing knives and set them into his belt. For now he would just catch a few squirrels and such. He didn't want to have to take the time to hunt, kill, and skin a larger animal like a deer since the hatchling wasn't big enough to eat that much meat by it's self, before it all went bad.

He looked down at the hatchling, wondering what to do with it. He didn't want to leave it out here in the open, since it could be attacked if a larger animal came by. Shrugging, he decided to just take it with him. "Alright, come on. You need to learn how to hunt anyways. Just try to stay close." He told it, though it didn't seem to understand him.

Curious, he decided to try communicating to it through their mental bond. Focusing, he sent an image of him and the hatchling walking through the woods, before shifting to one of the hatchling devouring a rabbit, along with the word, _"Hunting"_.

The hatchling squeaked at him and sent a feeling of excitement and satisfaction in response.

Satisfied knowing he had a way to communicate with the tiny dragon, James began walking, checking every minute or so to make sure the hatchling was following him. Occasionally it would stop to look at or smell something along the way, but it generally stayed close by. He wondered why it trusted him so much, he wasn't a dragon like it was. But then again, he was the first thing it was after hatching, so maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised.

After a few minutes of wandering, James finally saw a good sized rabbit. Coming to a dead stop, he drew one of his knives slowly so as not to spook his prey. He wound up to throw the knife, but stopped and lowered his arm as the rabbit was lifted struggling into the air. It was then pulled toward the hatchling, who's eye was now glowing, before being dropped to the ground, dead. After that, the hatchling's eye stopped glowing and it began stripping chunks of meat off the rabbit, swallowing them whole. Pride and satisfaction swelled through the mental link.

James grabbed his throwing knives and stuck them back into his inventory pouch. "Your first kill, and I didn't even need to teach you how beforehand. I'm impressed." He stated, watching the tiny dragon happily devouring it's prize. "What's more, you can already use and control magic. I didn't think you would be able to do that until you were older. All in all, you did quite well."

He sent amazement and admiration through the mental bond. The hatchling responded with a surge of pride and happiness.

He knew what the dragon would eventually turn into, but seeing the innocent little creature before him now, he couldn't help but adore it. He felt like such a fool. He knew what he should do, but now he was even less capable of bringing himself to do it then he was before.

He chuckled to himself. It was truly pathetic. He wanted to help the people of this world by joining the Varden and overthrowing a tyrant, when he had inadvertently brought an even greater threat with him from his world. Now, instead of cleaning up his mess like he should, he intended to bring it with him and raise it, as if it were a child. It was like a bad joke. He was strong enough to not only challenge, but actually _kill_ gods _and_ consume their souls, yet he found himself powerless against this one little creature.

He heard a tiny belch and saw the hatchling standing over a pile of bones staring at him expectantly. It seemed to have finished it's meal.

"You're all done? Then I guess we should get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover." He told it. "Actually, now that I think about it, we may need to take a different route then what I originally had planned. You'd probably die in that desert if I tried bringing you through there. Just because I can survive without food or water, doesn't mean you can."

James pulled out his map and opened it. "Alright, were somewhere between Dras-Leona and Urû'baen. There should be a river up ahead. We should stop there so you can drink some water. Until I figure out some way to keep you hidden, we should probably avoid cities. So we'll have to go around Urû'baen. After that, I suppose we'll have to skirt along the southern edge of the desert, and maybe even go through the Beor Mountains themselves. This will definitely take a lot longer then just cutting through the desert, but it should be safer for you."

The hatchling tilted it's head quizzically at him. It didn't understand a word he said, and he knew it. It was just nice to have someone to talk to while traveling for once, even if they didn't say anything back.

With that they set off once more. James kept a close eye on the young dragon as they traveled. Every so often it would flap it's wings and try to fly, though it never actually managed to get off the ground. It also caught and ate a few more small animals, though nothing as big as the first rabbit it caught.

The sun was beginning it's decent by the time they reached the river and the hatchling was exhausted. After it drank a bunch of water, it curled up near a tree and tried to take a nap. James filled up a few empty glass bottles, left over from Divine Blessings he had used, with water before corking them with their glass stoppers and putting them in his inventory pouch. It wasn't enough to get through the desert, but it was still good to have in case they had trouble finding water while going around the desert.

Looking at the hatchling, he sighed and began setting up camp even though the sun wouldn't go down for another few hours. This would slow him down significantly, but he didn't want to risk hurting the hatchling by pushing it past it's limits. It needed to rest, unlike him. After he finished gathering sticks and branches and setting up the camp fire, he sat down next to the fire positioning himself so he could keep an eye on the hatchling.

After awhile, it woke up and began exploring the new camp. It smelled and examined everything it could get to. Occasionally it would flap it's wings and try to fly, though the best it could manage was to jump a bit higher then it could normally. Most often it would playfully chase butterflies and other such insects through the camp, though it never went far from James.

Once the sun went down and it became dark out, the hatchling curled up in Jame's lap. He stroked the tiny dragon affectionately for some time before it eventually fell asleep for the night, leaving him to his thoughts.

This was going to be a long trip, he was sure. He just wondered what he was going to do with the hatchling once they got to the Varden. Obviously he couldn't keep it a secret forever. Perhaps he should tell them immediately. They wouldn't like it if they found out later that he was keeping such big secrets from them, then who knows what they would do. He couldn't let them hurt it because he was caught off guard. By telling them immediately, it might help him earn their trust. Plus, it would make it easier to protect the dragon since he would be able to see their reaction coming and prepare for it beforehand, whatever it maybe.

If they accepted him and the hatchling that would be perfect, he wouldn't have to do anything. If they rejected him and tried to attack either him or the hatchling, that was fine too. He could easily protect himself and the hatchling if necessary, and even if they rejected him, he still had a purpose. He would still need to kill the king. The Varden were just a means to an end. Though he might also work on destroying the Varden too, if they attacked him. He would leave them be if they simply rejected him, but if they took any hostile actions towards him or the hatchling, that meant they were a threat and he couldn't allow them to exist.

He looked at his right hand, examining the center of his gauntleted palm where that silver mark was. He still wondered what that was. He knew it was magic, but it was unlike any magic he had ever felt before. It had to have been from this world. He just couldn't understand why it happened when he touched the hatchling. It had no connection to this world whatsoever, it was from his world.

What even happened? He touched the hatchling, experienced excruciating pain, then he had a silver mark on his hand that tingled whenever he touched the hatchling with that hand. It didn't _seem_ like anything else happened. Of course, now he had this mental link with the hatchling, but who knows if that was due to that same event or if that was just how dragons communicated? He had no idea what to think of this. He was a knight of Astora not a sorcerer from Vinheim, though he did know a lot of all three types of magic.

He would deal with what ever it was later, if he had to. For now, he would just let the hatchling sleep and wait out the rest of the night. He had enough on his mind already, without worrying about such a strange and confusing subject as magic, let alone magic from another world.


	4. Chapter 4

**My notes: I'm happy you guys seem to like the story so far. It's been really fun to write. Anyways, I decided to make the hatchling male. I got two reviews saying what gender they wanted it to be, and it was a stalemate. At first I was leaning towards it being female, but after thinking about it for awhile, I decided to make it male. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review telling me what you think, and if there is anything I can improve on, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!**

 **Reviews: Boone: Yes, I know Kalameet is male in the actual game. I had to change that in this story to make it work. Though, I do agree the female dragon thing has become just a bit cliché, after reading a few other crossovers.  
**

 **NuggetMuncher: Hopefully this chapter answers a few of your questions, but yes, both James and the hatchling's magic still work in** **Alagaësia.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Souls or the Inheritance Cycle.**

After a week of traveling they had established a routine. Every evening James would make a campfire, and the dragon would fall asleep in his lap until morning. He would then wake it a little past dawn and they would continue traveling for awhile. The hatchling would catch it's own food along the way, and they would stop at any small ponds or streams they could find so it could get a drink before moving on.

James had even taken to telling it about his adventures in Lordran and a few legends while they walked, though he intentionally never mentioned Kalameet. He would often use their mental bond when talking to it instead of his voice, and would send it images and feelings along with his words. It seemed to pay attention whenever he spoke to it and absorb every bit of information it could, as if it was learning from him. James was fine with that, because if it was learning anything from his time in Lordran, that meant it should be learning to be cautious and never to underestimate anything.

It's growth was astounding over those few days. It had nearly doubled in size already, and began hunting larger animals. It even started learning how to fly, though it wasn't very good at it to begin with. That changed as it started flying more and more frequently. Their mental bond slowly began to grow stronger as well. It would often send how it felt through the link. James would do the same.

After about two weeks, it had grown too big to sleep on his lap whenever they stopped to rest. Instead, it just rested it's head on him while laying beside him.

It had been about a month and a half now and they were at least halfway into the Beor mountains, though they stayed on the edge so they wouldn't have to do as much climbing. Already, the young dragon was already bigger then a large horse, and it could now hunt large animals such as deer. It had also taken to flying above him while they traveled.

 _"James."_ a voice stated while they were traveling one day.

Stopping, James looked around in confusion. Seeing no one around, he decided it must have been his imagination.

 _"James!"_ he heard the voice again.

"Hello?" He called out, now sure it wasn't his imagination. No one in this world should know his name, what was going on here?

Suddenly the dragon landed in front of him. _"James!"_ the voice cried out in excitement. The same excitement he could feel through his mental bond with the dragon.

James reeled back in shock, realizing the voice he heard was coming from that very same bond. "You can talk?!" he exclaimed, looking it directly in it's single orange eye.

 _"Yes."_ The voice said happily, as the dragon let out a deep pulsing growl in a crude parody of a chuckle.

"By the gods." James muttered to himself. Taking a few breaths to calm himself down. "I apologize, I just didn't expect that." He told it. "I suppose now we'll have to come up with a name for you, eh?"

Joy and satisfaction radiated through their bond in response.

"Alright, do you know if you are male or female?" He inquired. It would make naming it much easier if he knew it's gender.

 _"I am a male."_ he stated, seemingly amused that James didn't know this.

"You do remember the stories I've told you, right? I do not know but a few names of dragons, so I'll suggest a few names of gods and heroes, tell me if you like any of them." He told him. "How about Seath, after Seath the Scaleless?"

 _"No."_ he stated, giving James a bored look. A black puff of smoke rose from nostrils.

"Okay, how about Artorias, after Artorias the Abysswalker?" James tried again.

He seemed to think about it for a moment but in the end rejected that one as well.

"Hm, what about Nito, after the god of Death and Disease?" James offered.

He considered this one as well, but in the end it too was denied.

"What about Sen, after the god who created Sen's Fortress?" James suggested, undeterred. Not much was known about the god Sen, other then he was one of the gods of war and built his fortress as a proving grounds for all who wished to enter Anor Londo.

 _"Yes, it's perfect!"_ Sen exclaimed happily, bounding up to James and nuzzling him affectionately.

James wrapped his arms around Sen's neck, embracing him just as affectionately. "Very well then. From now on, I shall call you Sen." He chuckled, smiling through his helmet.

They stayed like that for a moment. Finally James released Sen's neck and said, "We should keep moving. The river is just up ahead, in another week or so, we should reach our destination."

Sen didn't move, but continued to look at James. _"Climb on to my back. We will get to the Varden faster if we fly together."_ He told James.

"Are you certain? You're no horse, and I wouldn't want to insult you by trying to ride you like one." James stated, unsure about this. He was confused about how Sen knew about the Varden for a moment, then he remembered telling the young dragon where they were going and why some time back when he first told him about his curse. He was surprised Sen could even remember that.

Sen lowered himself so James could more easily climb on to him. _"I insist that you ride me. I am more then strong enough to carry you, and I want you to fly with me. I would only find it insulting if you refused."_ He stated impatiently.

James shrugged but walked to Sen's side and climbed onto a space between his neck and back where there was a large gap between the spikes that ran down his spine. Once James was seated, he leaned over and gripped the spike in front of him so he wouldn't fall off. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's go." he said, slightly nervous about falling off. He would need to make a saddle of some sort later so he couldn't.

With that, Sen backed up some before flapping his wings and taking off. After a moment they were flying above the trees, and were ascending even higher into the sky. Sen seemed to stumble for a moment, seemingly unused to the extra weight on his back, but recovered quickly and was flying as gracefully as ever.

This wasn't the first time James had ever flown, but it was certainly the most exciting as well as the most enjoyable. He watched in exhilaration as the ground moved beneath them at high speeds. Cold air rushed through the openings in his helmet and chilled his face. He sent his excitement through their mental bond, and Sen responded with happiness and contentment.

Looking at the young dragon now, James now realized that Sen wasn't a monster or a threat like Kalameet had been. He was the exact opposite. He was James's closest ally, and his best friend. He loved Sen as if he was a brother or even a son, and he could feel Sen's love for him in return. If anything ever happened to the dragon, he knew he may very well lose his sanity and go hollow.

Their journey seemed to go by in a flash after that. In the mornings, Sen would hunt for food by himself and James would wait for him to come back. After that, James would ride Sen for most of the day until the dragon would get tired. In the evenings, Sen would hunt while James gathered wood and set up a fire.

One morning, Sen was still sleeping, and James was watching the dying embers of the camp fire he had made the previous night when he heard the sound of armor rattling, men whooping loudly, and horses cantering near by. Drawing his sword and shield, he stood up and looked in the direction of the sounds, though he couldn't see anything through the trees and bushes.

 _"James?"_ Sen asked groggily, having just woken up. _"What's going on? Why are you holding your sword and shield?"_

 _"I don't know, I think there is a group of armored men near by. I don't know who they are or what they were doing, but I have a bad feeling about this."_ James told him through their mental bond, not wanting to make any more noise then he had to. _"Follow me, but stay quiet and don't fly. We're going to check it out, and I don't want to alert them to our presence just yet."_

Sen stood up and followed James, who had started walking in the direction of the noise. It wasn't long before they found at least twenty men on horses surrounding two boys with swords drawn, one sitting on his own horse the other standing next to his. The men's equipment all seemed to be in poor condition, with stains and rust covering it. Four of them had bows and arrows and were pointing them at the boys.

One of the boys shifted their sword and growled, "Who are you and what do you want? We are free men traveling through this land. You have no right to stop us."

"Oh, I have every right," one of the men, presumably the leader, said contemptuously. "And as for my name, _slaves_ don't address their master in that manner, unless they want to be beaten."

 _"Slavers!"_ James shouted mentally. Hellish rage boiled within him.

 _"What should we do?"_ Sen asked him, staring hatefully at the slavers.

 _"Slaughter them like the disgusting beasts they are!"_ He responded, bursting out from behind the tree he was hiding behind and rushing towards them with his shield up and his sword raised, running with the unnatural speed all undead possessed.

Sen followed suit, rushing out from behind the trees and roaring at the slavers. Focusing on the archers, he unleashed a torrent of black flames from his mouth, roasting them and their horses alive. As soon as they stopped screaming, he cut off the flames and faced the rest of the slavers.

Once he was close enough, James swung his sword at one with a rust stained battle axe before they could react. His blade cut through the slaver and his armor like paper, slicing him in half at the waist. As the two halves fell apart off the horse, a white mist flowed into James as he consumed the man's soul. He was stronger then either Havel the Rock or Executioner Smough, so to him it was like slicing through soft butter with a red hot knife.

This proved to be all the distraction the boys needed. The one who spoke earlier smashed his elbow into a slaver's face and knocked them out of their saddle. He brandished his sword as his horse reared back and stomped on the dismounted slaver, causing the man to scream.

The lead Slaver, realizing what was happening, ordered his men to attack the newcomer and the beast, though his orders went unheard in all the chaos. Suddenly with a loud crash a blue dragon landed between the men and the boys and roared.

James, kept an eye on it, to see if it would attack, but didn't stop swinging his blade as he slaughtered the men. He was a whirlwind of death and blood as he tore into the slavers. Some tried to fight back, but he would always parry their attacks before stabbing or slashing at them.

Sen was just as aggressive, biting some, slashing at others with his claws, knocking a few off their horses with his tail, and even using his magic to lift some into the air in front of his eye to curse them before dropping them to the ground and tearing at them with his claws. He wasn't as fast as James but his scales acted as a natural armor, deflecting and absorbing all of their attacks with ease.

Finally, when there were only a few left, James slung the blood off his sword before sheathing it and summoning his pyromancy flame. He drew back as he charged the Fire Tempest spell before punching the ground. Standing back up, he watched as massive pillars of fire erupted from the ground around him and burned the remaining slavers to ash. The slaver's remaining horses bolted.

Willing away his pyromancy flame he put his shield on his back and walked towards the two boys. The huge blue dragon growled at him, and stood between him and the boys protectively.

Sen moved to stand next to James, and growled back. This new dragon may have been bigger then him, but he doubted that it was more powerful then him. If it dared try to harm James, he would kill it without hesitation.

"Who are you, what is that creature, and why did you kill all those men?" The boy with the strange red sword shouted at him accusingly.

"I am James of Astora. This 'creature' is a dragon, and his name is Sen. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He greeted, trying to be polite. "As for why I killed those men, isn't it obvious? I was helping you, as well as doing this world a favor. They were slavers, and they planned on capturing you and making you slaves. Now, they are dead and can't hurt you, or anyone else, ever again."

The blue dragon stopped growling at him, and was now looking curiously at Sen. The two boys were both giving James shocked looks. "A dragon? Does that mean you're a Dragon Rider, like me?" The boy with the red sword asked, eyeing him cautiously.

"What is a 'Dragon Rider?'" James inquired, confused by the question. Suddenly he had a thought, maybe it had something to do with the mark he received after touching Sen for the first time when he hatched. James pulled his right gauntlet off and showed them the silvery mark on his palm. "Does it have something to do with this? I got it just after Sen hatched."

The boy with the red sword sucked in his breath in surprise, while the other glared and pointed his sword at him. "Galbatorix must have sent you to capture Eragon and Saphira! You won't take them without a fight!"

"What are you talking about? Do you mean this land's king? I was just on my way to join the Varden to assist in overthrowing and killing him. Besides, if I wanted to capture you, we wouldn't be talking right now." James stated, putting his gauntlet back on.

The boy lowered his sword and looked at the one, presumably, called Eragon, seemingly unsure what to do.

Eragon sat there looking dumbfoundedly at James for a moment. Finally he shook his head, seemingly to clear his thoughts, and sheathed his sword. "We're going to the Varden as well, our friend has been poisoned and they can help her. Though, Murtagh will be leaving when we get close. You should come with us. It would be nice to have your assistance if we are attacked again." Eragon stated, motioning to a body covered by a blanket on the back of his horse when he mentioned his friend who had been poisoned.

"Are you sure about this? What if he's lying and he truly is working for Galbatorix?" The one called Murtagh asked, glancing at James suspiciously.

"Then it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him rather then letting him ambush us later on. Besides, if he's not working for Galbatorix, he will still be heading in the same direction as us anyways, and you saw what he did to the slavers." Eragon told Murtagh.

"Fine, but I'll be watching him if he does come with us. I don't want my throat being slit in the middle of the night." Murtagh huffed, sheathing his sword as well.

"I don't know. What do you say, Sen? I know you must be hungry since you didn't get to hunt this morning, but should we go with them?" James asked, looking at the dragon next to him.

 _"I believe we should, but if they ever threaten or attack either of us again, I will kill them all."_ Sen stated seriously, obviously trusting these people as little as they trusted him and James.

"That settles it then. We'll come with you." James stated, climbing on Sen's back. He considered offering them a purple moss clump for their poisoned friend, but decided against it. He had no way of knowing if it would even work on people from this world and he didn't want to risk poisoning them further.

With that, Eragon removed the blanket from over the woman's body, revealing her form. James was surprised to see that she had pointed ears, but didn't say anything, as he didn't want to be rude. Eragon then began tying her to Saphira's underbelly, before climbing onto his horse. After that, the group began traveling at an extremely fast pace, and James began to worry Sen may become exhausted. His fears proved to be unfounded by the time they stopped to rest.

They stopped to set up camp, and Sen flew off to go hunting. After they finished setting up their camp, and were cooking dinner, Eragon asked, "Are you an Elf? When you and Sen were fighting the slavers earlier, you moved much too fast to be human. Also, why does Sen only have one eye and how can he breath fire at such a young age? Saphira can't even do that yet, and she's so much bigger then him."

James looked at him in confusion, "I have no idea what that even is. I'm as human as you are... Well I suppose that's not quite true either, but I am human. As for Sen, I don't know. They obviously aren't the same breed, so maybe that's why." He told the boy.

"What do you mean you're not as human as we are? You either are human, or you're not. There is no middle ground." Murtagh stated, glaring at him.

James couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "That's where you're wrong... Alright, since I'm traveling with you, I suppose you have a right to know." He began explaining the curse and everything it entailed, along with the fact that he and Sen were from another world entirely. They didn't believe him at first, but by the time Sen had come back and their dinner was finished cooking, James managed to convince them of the truth.

Eragon and Murtagh ate their dinner in horrified silence, while James just sat staring into the camp fire. Saphira lay behind Eragon looking wonderingly at Sen, who was laying curled up next to James with his eye closed. That night, James took watch, since he was the only one that didn't need sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**My notes: I know it's been awhile, but no, this story is not dead. School stuff just got in the way. Sorry about that. This chapter is a little longer to make up for that. Anyways, please leave a review telling me what you think of this chapter, and what you think I can improve on. I love hearing your feed back!**

 **Reviews: DarkBlight: I do see your point, the pacing is quite fast. I intentionally made it that way since not much really happens on James and Sen's journey as they are completely unknown to the Empire at this point and are not being hunted, and have no real sub plots to deal with yet, like Eragon did with the Ra'zac and Arya. Later chapters should be no where near as fast paced. Also, when he was in the bar and overheard the men talking about the king and the Varden, he was absolutely desperate to find a purpose and was ready to accept almost anything, thus why he was so willing to join the Varden and overthrow the King almost instantly with little to no information about the situation. That was my reasoning at least, though I agree I probably should have taken more time to go over the situation of him not having a purpose. Anyways, that's just my perspective, I'm glad you enjoy the story in spite of some of it's flaws.**

 **Guest: Honestly, a big reason why I chose DS1 and Kalameet is just because DS1 is my favorite game in the series, and I think Kalameet is fricking awesome. I would also argue that he is one of, if not _the_ most powerful dragon in all of Dark Souls. No, he may not be the biggest dragon, but in this case I don't think size matters all that much - if it did I would have probably chosen Seath the Scaleless or something. Kalameet was so powerful that even the gods in the height of the age of fire didn't dare provoke his wrath, and their the ones who hunted the dragons to extinction. So, just because he's not big doesn't mean he's not strong. As for the Crypt Blacksword, in Dark Souls 1 the Chosen Undead can get Smough's Hammer which is way bigger and a _lot_ heavier since it is made from gold.**

 **rocketmce: It's based off of the book. The movie was just awful.**

 **notsae: I'm still considering it, but there is a high chance I may include that later on.**

 **Primordial Inscriptor Z-09: He will probably have to have armor custom made since his eye is in the center of his head.**

 ** **Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Souls or the Inheritance Cycle.****

The next morning, Eragon and Murtagh woke up very early and were in a hurry to keep going. James assumed it was because they wanted to get the poisoned woman to the Varden as soon as possible. However, their rush to move meant Sen had to skip hunting for a second morning in a row, much to the young dragon's annoyance.

 _"How much longer must we travel before we reach our destination? I'll need to hunt extra prey at night if I am going to be unable to hunt in the morning."_ Sen huffed in irritation as they flew over the tree tops.

 _"They all had to skip their breakfast as well, you know, and I'm sure they are no more joyful about it then you are."_ James replied through their mental link. _"However, it shouldn't be much longer now. We were getting quite close, last time I checked my map. At this pace, I estimate we should be there in a few days at most."_

James looked over at Saphira; Eragon was riding a saddle strapped to her back while the woman was tied to her underside. Her bright blue scales reflected and gleamed in the sunlight as they flew just a ways away from him and Sen. Eragon appeared to have a somewhat distant expression as he held on to the saddle, though it was difficult to say for certain due to the distance. Perhaps the boy was conversing with Saphira through a similar mental link to the one he and Sen shared? That would make sense, after all why would he and Sen be the only ones to have such a bond?

 _"I know you don't trust any of our traveling companions but what do you make of Saphira and Eragon? Apparently they share the same bond we do." James asked._

 _"The boy is much too soft and nervous, I can almost smell his uncertainty."_ Sen stated, nonchalantly. _"I do not have any real opinion on Saphira, however. From what limited interaction we have had, all I can discern is that she is fiercely loyal to the boy, and that she has some odd fascination with me. When we stopped to rest last night I would often catch her staring at me and when we were hunting she was often close by, though far enough away not to startle my prey."_

 _"I noticed that as well. Perhaps she is simply curious about you. You are quite different from her after all, and we are from another world."_ James suggested. He was about to comment further when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Looking over he saw what looked like a small army camped by a stream bed they had crossed just yesterday.

 _"Who in Gwyn's name are they?"_ James asked in confusion. _"The Varden is supposed to have their base hidden in a mountain up ahead."_

 _"I am unsure, but it seems those two have noticed them as well. Look."_ Sen pointed his head at Eragon and Saphira who were hurtling towards Murtagh on the ground, about to land.

 _"Something is off about this. Let's check with the others, they should know what is happening."_ James told Sen, giving the army a wary look.

"Why is there a gods forsaken army behind us? Are they supposed to be the Varden?" James demanded as soon as they landed.

"No, It's Urgals, large dangerous creatures with horns. They work for the King and have been chasing us for the past couple of days, and right now they are overtaking us!" Eragon Explained.

"How far do we still have to go?" Murtagh asked, putting his hands to the sky, seeming to measure the time until sunset.

"A three or four days at the rate were traveling, Sen asked me the same thing a little while ago." James told them.

"We need to get there by tomorrow or the Urgals will overtake us and Ayra will certainly die." Eragon stated.

"She might last another day." Murtagh suggested.

"We can't count on it." Eragon objected. "The only way we can make it to the Varden on time is if we don't stop for anything, least of all sleep. That's our only chance."

Murtagh laughed bitterly. "How can you expect us to do that? We've already gone days without adequate sleep. Unless you are undead like him and don't actually need sleep like us mortals, your as tired as I am. We've already covered a staggering distance, and the horses, in case you haven't noticed, are ready to drop. Another day of this might kill us all."

James sighed and reached into his inventory pouch. "I may actually have something for that." He stated, pulling out a fist full of Green Blossoms. "I am quite reluctant to do this, but it seems circumstance has forced my hand. Take these, they are called Green blossoms. They are magic plants that are quite common in my world. They should instantly restore all of your stamina and energy after eating them, you should feed some to your horses and Saphira as well." He just hoped they weren't poisonous to people from this world.

Eragon took them from James and examined them, obviously still somewhat suspicious of James and anything he gave them. Handing one to Murtagh he said, "I guess we don't really have a choice."

Murtagh took it reluctantly. Grimacing he popped the blossom into his mouth, followed quickly by Eragon. The fatigue almost immediately drained from both of their faces. "That... that actually worked." Murtagh stated obviously surprised by this.

"Quickly now, your horses and Saphira, we don't want them dying of exhaustion either." James stated.

Eragon nodded and began feeding Saphira before moving onto the horses.

"Now that your exhaustion is dealt with, we must still devise a plan. How shall we get away from these 'Urgals'?"

Murtagh's gaze shifted to the mountains. "I could leave and let you two fly ahead with Saphira and Sen... That would force the Urgals to divide their troops and give you a better chance of getting to the Varden."

"It would be suicide," said Eragon, crossing his arms. "Somehow those Urgals are faster on foot then we are on horse back. They would run you down like a deer. The only way to evade them is to find sanctuary with the Varden."

"I'll escape later," Murtagh interjected. "When we get to the Varden, I can disappear down a side valley and make my way to Surda, where I can hide without attracting too much attention."

"Then it's settled." James declared. "We need to get moving if were going to make it in time."

With that, the group began moving once more, moving at an even faster pace then before as they attempted to gain distance between them and the Urgals, yet their pursuers continued to gain on them. As night fell the Urgals were a third closer then they had been that morning. Fortunately, with their energy restored by the green blossoms Murtagh and Eragon both seemed to be able to stay awake the entire night as they rode towards the Varden.

Sen followed beside them, with James riding on his back, as James had given Eragon his map to lead the way. Eragon rode on Saphira as well. Both Sen and Saphira were unable to fly, as they would be too easily seen and would lead the Urgals right to them.

Finally the sun had come up once more and James was glad to see the Urgals were decently far behind them. He wasn't looking forward to having to fight a small army, if they managed to catch up with them. He was powerful, but numbers could still overwhelm him, let alone the others.

"Today is the last day." Eragon stated, pulling James from his thoughts. "If we're not reasonably close to the Varden by noon, I am going to fly ahead with Arya. Murtagh, you'll be able to go wherever you want then, but you'll have to take Snowfire with you. I won't be able to come back for him."

"That might not be necessary; we could still make it in time." Murtagh suggested rubbing the pommel of his sword.

"Eragon, how bad is her condition?" James inquired seriously.

Eragon went to her and put a hand on her forehead. After a moment he pressed a damp rag to her brow and said, "Not good. I don't know how long she'll last."

James wished he had a Divine blessing, since he was almost certain they would be safe for Arya to consume, but he used up all the ones he had in Lordran. Their bottles were still full of the water he had collected at the river when Sen first hatched. Unfortunately he was only left with one option. He reached into his inventory pouch and pulled out a Purple Moss clump. He still didn't want to risk poisoning her too much more so he just tore a small chunk off of the clump and put the rest back into his inventory pouch.

He held the piece out to Eragon. "Here, give her this. It's part of a purple moss clump, another magic plant from my world, only this one is used to cure poisons. I would give you a whole one, but I'm unsure if it is safe for people from this world, and I don't want to risk making her condition much worse." He explained as Eragon took it from him.

"If it works as I hope it does that small piece won't cure her by it's self, but it will lessen the effect of the poison to some extent. If her condition stays constant or improves noticeably before we reach the Varden, I'll give you a whole one to cure her."

"You are only telling us about this moss now?" Eragon demanded incredulously. "Arg, never mind. What if it doesn't work as you hope?"

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I only gave you a fraction of the moss clump, though we had best hope we reach the Varden fast and pray they can save her." James stated grimly.

Eragon looked at the piece of moss in his hand and sighed. He sat there silently for a moment before patting Saphira and moving to give Arya the piece of moss.

Later that morning, after they had circumnavigated an especially broad mountain, James looked back and saw the distance between them and the Urgals had shrunk significantly, to just a few miles. His mouth tightened to a thin line under his helmet. At this rate the Urgals would catch up with them with in the next few hours.

"If we can slip in there without being seen, it might confuse the Urgals." Eragon stated, pointing to a narrow valley up ahead, from which a river flowed, which James remembered from his map was called the Beartooth.

"It's worth a try. But they've followed us easily so far." Murtagh responded skeptically.

As they approached the valley, they passed under the knotted branches of the Beor Mountains' forest. The strange trees were tall with creviced bark and dull needles that were almost black. Strange squirrels chattered from treetops and darted from branch to branch. Massive cones littered the forest floor. Tangled roots jutted from the ground like the elbows and knees of mummified or skeletal corpses only partially buried in the ground, reminding James of his time in the Catacombs back in Lordran.

The forest gave James the same ominous looming feeling that he had grown so used to during his time in Lordran, and the Urgals starting to get so close he could almost feel the same sense of dread and hopelessness that permeated his world. It was strangely relaxing to him, it was almost like he was right back at the Firelink Shrine again, like he was home.

Sen's eye glowed orange, and he let out a soft growl. _"This place feels wrong. I do not like it."_

James chuckled to himself. _"That is because you were raised in this world, Sen. This... this is almost exactly what our world is like. Remember this feeling, for it may be the closest we ever come to being back in our world again."_

Sen huffed and black smoke rose from his nostrils. _"If this is what our world was like, I'm glad I never had to see it."_

The forest grew more dense further in, forcing Saphira to take off with Arya and Sen to take off with James. As soon as they left the treetops, the ominous feeling of the forest vanished, much to Sen's great relief, and James' slight disappointment.

The view from up high was breath taking, with the huge mountains piercing through the clouds, the sun illuminating the trees blow and casting beautiful shadows on the cliff sides. It was a sight that the best artists from their world even from before the curse would kill to see. James may have been able to appreciate it more under diffrent circumstances. Sen lunged forward like a spear and snapped up a few birds as a flock passed by them.

After a few minutes of flying, they noticed Saphira land in a glade near the boys, before taking off again a moment or two later with Eragon on her back. Suddenly they swooped straight upward and began flying higher and higher before disappearing above the clouds.

 _"That is odd. I wonder why they are going up so high."_ Sen stated curiously.

After a few minutes Saphira reemerged from the clouds and Eragon was slumped over on her back. _"Something is wrong, bring us closer."_ James told him.

Sen flapped his wings and they began picking up speed. It only took a few minutes for them to catch up with Saphira, but Eragon had already gotten back up.

"Are you hurt? Why were you laying down like that?" James shouted over the wind to Eragon.

Eragon looked over and shouted back, "I'm fine! We flew too high and I passed out! There isn't enough air that high up!"

That confused James, why wouldn't there be enough air? Shouldn't it be exactly the same as on the ground? He shook his head and made himself focus. "Very well! We just wanted to make sure you did not need assistance!"

Sen was about to break away and fly in a different direction when the Urgal column came into view, they were already at the mouth of the valley. _"These beasts are fast. They are going to catch the other boy before we can reach the Varden. It doesn't seem possible that the horses can out run them at this rate."_ Sen growled, sending frustration through their bond.

 _"By the gods, how did we get roped into this mess?"_ James huffed. _"Do you think we could get away with flying over and burning them to ash with your flame breath?"_

 _"Not without being torn apart by arrows if they have any archers and not without setting the forest ablaze along with them."_ Sen stated.

James remained silent, trying to think of ways to slow them down or stop them, that wouldn't end with either Sen or the others getting killed. Suddenly he heard Eragon say something, but he couldn't understand what over the wind. Suddenly a band of mist in front of the Urgals began growing thicker turning into a massive wall of fog, until it was as dark as a thunder cloud. The Urgals hesitated for a moment before continued to press forward like a massive hoard of hollows descending on an unwalled village.

Eragon began to gasp and struggle as the wall continued to build. James looked over at him, unsure of what was happening or how he could help. Finally Eragon let out a savage growl and collapsed once more, the fog began to fall apart and melt almost immediately after he did.

Before James could ask what happened Saphira turned around and dipped towards the ground. Sen followed after her. Eventually they landed in a small field, in which the horses had stopped and Murtagh was kneeling, examining the ground. A moment went by and Eragon did not dismount, leading Murtagh to rush over to him and ask, "What's wrong." sounding both angry and worried at the same time.

"I would like to know this as well." James stated, concerned about the boy's sudden lack of energy.

"I made a mistake." Eragon admitted. "The Urgals have entered the Valley. I tried to confuse them, but I forgot one of the rules of magic, and it cost me a great deal."

"You can use magic? Also, what rules?" James inquired, surprised by this sudden revelation. Magic was simply limited by the user's intelligence and faith, as far as he was aware, and if you were not intelligent enough or lacked the required faith, the spell simply wouldn't work. This world's magic must be even more different then he originally thought.

Eragon groaned in irritation. "All riders can use magic. Magic costs as much energy as doing a task would by hand, the further away you are the more energy a spell requires, and you can not bring the dead back to life... Not in this world anyways. There isn't enough time for me to explain in any more detail then that, the longer we talk the closer the Urgals get. We need to move."

"Wait, I just found some wolf tracks that are as wide as my hands and an inch deep. There are animals here that could be dangerous to even you and Saphira or Sen." Murtagh scowled jerking his thumb over his shoulder. He looked at the two dragons. "Could you two circle above me and the horses? Two dragons should be more then enough to keep the beasts away. Otherwise there wont be enough left of me to roast in a thimble."

"Humor, Murtagh?" Eragon smiled, visibly shaking.

"Only on the gallows." Murtagh stated. "I can't believe the same Urgals have been following us this whole time. They would have to be birds to catch up with us."

"Saphira says they are larger then any we've seen." Eragon remarked.

Murtagh cursed and clenched the pommel of his sword. "Saphira, if you're right then those are Kull, elite of the Urgals. I should have guessed the chieftain had been put in charge of them. They don't ride because no horse can carry their weight - not one of them is under eight feet tall - and they can run for days without sleep and still be ready for battle. It can take five men to kill just one. Kull never leave their caves except for war, so they must expect a great slaughter if they are out in such force."

"Damn it to the Abyss. Can we stay ahead of them?" James demanded.

"Who knows?" Murtagh shrugged. "They are strong, powerful, and large in numbers. It's possible we may have to face them. If that happens, we can only hope the Varden have men posted near by that will help us. Despite our skill, Saphira, Sen, and your power, we can't hold off Kull. You would probably be the only one to survive, and only because of your curse would bring you back."

Eragon swayed. "Could you get me some bread? I need to eat." He asked. Murtagh quickly brought him part of a loaf of old bread, which Eragon ate gratefully. Murtagh scanned the valley walls seemingly worried about something. "There'll be one further in." Eragon told him.

"Of course." Murtagh stated, with obviously false optimism before slapping his thigh. "We must go.

James had no idea what that was about, but decided it wasn't any of his business and ignored it. "Wait, one more thing." James announced as he reached into his inventory pouch and pulled out another Green Blossom. He had stock piled it back in Lordran just in case he got into particularly strenuous fights, so he was more then willing to share. "Here, take this." He stated, tossing it to Eragon who barely managed to catch it before it fell to the ground. "We need you wide awake if we are going to make it through this, boy."

Eragon gave him a grateful look and devoured the blossom, his exhaustion vanishing once more. "That reminds me, how is Arya?" He asked.

"Her fever seems to be getting better. It isn't as bad as it was a little while ago. Her strength is still fading though. You should fly her to the Varden before the poison can do any more damage, unless James is willing to give us that magic moss that supposedly cures all poison."

"I won't leave you behind, not with the Urgals so near." Eragon insisted. He turned to James, an expectant and desperate expression on his face. "You heard him. Her condition has gotten better after we gave her the moss. You said you would give us enough to cure her if she got better."

James shrugged. "Very well then. It appears to be safe enough. I just had to be sure, I didn't want to inadvertently speed up her death while trying to help." He said as he reached back into his inventory pouch. "Just remember, this will only cure the poison. It will not heal her or make her regain consciousness. She will still need a lot of rest so her body can heal on it's own, so we still need to get her to the Varden as soon as possible." He explained as he tossed a whole clump over to Murtagh, who immediately went to give it to Arya.

A few moments later a horn echoed through the forest.

"Gods damn it! We have to move, _now_!" James growled.

"Agreed. She ate the moss, we'll just have to trust that it worked." Murtagh stated grabbing the reigns of the horses. "I still think you two should just leave me behind and fly her to the Varden, but I know I can't convince you. I suppose we'll all just have to die together." He said quickly before darting off into the woods.

James scowled beneath his helmet as Sen took off. This situation was getting worse and worse by the minute. He just prayed that Murtagh was wrong, though he knew full well the gods didn't exist in this world.

After flying for a little ways, they saw Saphira bank to the right and land next to the Beartooth river and grab a large boulder while Eragon hopped off her back seemingly to collect stones of his own. _"They're going to drop stones on the Urgals."_ James realized.

 _"Do you believe we should we assist them?"_ Sen asked, eager to finally fight their pursuers.

James watched as Eragon and Saphira dropped the rocks on the Urgals' heads. _"The trees are too thick for them to use arrows effectively, so we might as well. It should buy us some time at the very least."_

Sen landed next to the river and grabbed a boulder of his own, while James stuffed a bunch of large rocks ranging from the size of his fist to bigger then his head into his inventory pouch, before climbing back on top of Sen.

As they flew over the Urgals Sen dropped his boulder while James emptied his inventory of stones one by one. Sen's boulder landed right on top of a few of them, killing them almost instantly, while some of James' stones hit the Urgals, either killing them or breaking bones, while others missed entirely. They repeated this process for a while, eventually falling into an alternating pattern with Eragon and Saphira. Their efforts allowed Murtagh to stay ahead of the continuously Urgals.

As the hours passed by, and it began growing darker, the Urgals began becoming more and more difficult to detect through the trees, meaning their boulders were becoming less effective. Eventually they just decided to give up and instead focus on finding the waterfall that indicated the entrance to the Varden's base.

Eventually they could see a faint white line in the distance. _"That must be the water fall. We're getting close."_ James stated, matter-of-factly.

 _"Indeed. Let's just hope the Varden will help us once we reach them."_ Sen grumbled.

Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, James looked and saw Eragon and Saphira landing to the left of the Beartooth river. _"It seems they're landing. Let's follow their lead and see what's going on."_ James suggested.

They angled downwards and landed right beside Eragon and Saphira just as Murtagh came bolting out of the forest driving the horses before him. He obviously saw them but did not slow down. Eragon jumped off of Saphira and stumbled as he attempted to match Murtagh's pace. James followed suit, sliding off Sen's back and running after the boys, his armor clanking loudly as he went. He caught up with them in a matter of seconds.

"I saw you two dropping rocks with Saphira and Sen - ambitious. Have the Kull stopped or turned back?" Murtagh inquired.

Eragon responded, "They're still behind us but were almost to the head of the valley. How's Ayra?"

"She hasn't died" Murtagh stated harshly, his breath coming in short bursts. "Is there a valley or gorge ahead that I can leave through?" He asked, his voice far too calm as if he was attempting to conceal desperation.

Eragon looked nervous. "Its dark, so I may have missed something but... no." He stated apprehensively. "James, did you see any paths Murtagh could escape through?"

"I did not, but I wasn't exactly looking for any either. I believed you two already had one planned out, though I suppose the Urgals must have ruined that." James observed.

Murtagh swore explosively and came to an abrupt halt, dragging on the horses reigns until they came to a stop as well. "Are you saying the only place I can go is the Varden?"

"Yes, but keep going. The Urgals are almost upon us!" Eragon told him.

"No!" Murtagh growled angerly. "I told you I wouldn't go to the Varden but you went ahead and trapped me between the hammer and anvil! Your the one with the Arya's memories, and James' map. Why didn't you tell me this was a dead end?"

"All I knew is where we had to go, not what lay in between. Don't blame me for choosing to come." Eragon retorted. Murtagh's breath hissed between his teeth as he spun furiously away from Eragon.

"Silence, both of you!" James commanded harshly. They didn't have time for petty squabbles. Both Eragon and Murtagh looked at him with some measure of shock.

 _"What is happening? Why have you stopped?"_ Sen inquired, concern flowing through their mental bond.

 _"The boys are arguing, apparently Murtagh has no escape route but doesn't want to go with us to the Varden. I'm trying to sort it out at the moment."_ James responded.

 _"Try to be fast then, the Urgals getting closer every second."_ Sen informed him.

"Arguing will only get us all killed. Murtagh, unless you want to die you are going to come with us to the Varden, like it or not. You know we are all taking a risk by going there. So explain exactly how they will react to you and why. It would be best to avoid such unnecessary surprises when we get there. Depending on the reason, we may even be ale to help you once you get there." James ordered.

Murtagh's breath was hard and fast, like that of a cornered animal, but he turned to face them. He hesitated for a moment but finally said. "You have a right to know. I... I am the son of Morzan, the first and last of the forsworn." His voice tormented.

Eragon's face was filled with shock and disbelief. After a moment he finally said, "Your his heir?" while reaching for his sword.

James pushed Eragon's hand away from his weapon. "Do not draw your weapon or I will not hesitate to take it away from you. The same goes for you as well, Murtagh." He declared. He didn't know who Morzan was or what the forsworn were, but he would have to ask them about it later, they were running out of time. Eragon gave him an indignant look but didn't reach for his sword again, while Murtagh simply gave him a vague nod of acknowledgement.

"I didn't choose this!" Murtagh cried looking back at Eragon, his face twisted in despair and misery. "Look!" He shouted, turning away from them and removing his tunic and shirt to show them his bare back.

James conjured up his pyromancy flame to provide a little bit of light, though he kept it low to avoid bringing the Urgals right to them. In the dim fire light they could see a jagged white scar against his tanned skin which stretched from his right shoulder down to his left hip.

"See that?" He demanded bitterly, talking quickly. "I was only three when I got it. During one of his many drunken rages, Morzan threw his sword at me as I ran by. My back was layed open by the very sword you now carry - the only thing I expected to receive as inheritance, until Brom stole it from my father's corpse. I was lucky, I suppose - there was a healer near by who kept me from dying. You must understand, I don't love the Empire or the king, I have no allegiance to them and I mean you no harm." He was growing frantic at this point.

So, Morzan and these forsworn served the king. That's why Murtagh was so afraid to go to the Varden. He was afraid they would try to kill or imprison him because of his relation to Morzan. James believed a person should be judged by their own actions, not by who they were descended from, but the Varden might not feel the same way.

Eragon shifted uneasily. "Then your father," his voice faulted. "Was killed by..."

"Yes, Brom." said Murtagh, pulling his shirt back on with a detached air.

A horn rang out behind them and Eragon cried, "Come, run with me." Murtagh shook the horses' reigns and forced them into a trot, eyes fixed straight ahead, while Arya bounced limply in Snowfire's saddle. Saphira stayed by Eragon's side, easily keeping pace with her long legs. Sen flew low over the trees above them.

"Your tale is hard to believe. How do I know your not lying?" Eragon questioned Murtagh as they ran.

"Why would I lie?"

"You could be - " Eragon started.

Murtagh interrupted him, "I can't prove anything to you now. Keep your doubts until we reach the Varden. They'll recognize me quickly enough."

"I must know, do you serve the Empire?" Eragon continued to press him.

"No. And if I did, what would I accomplish by traveling with you? If I was trying to capture or kill you, I would have left you in prison." Murtagh said, stumbling as he jumped over a fallen log.

"You could be leading the Urgals to the Varden." Eragon stated flatly.

Murtagh seemed to be loosing his patience. "Then, why am I still with you? I know where the Varden are now. What reason could I have for delivering my self to them? If I were going to attack them, I would turn around and join the Urgals."

"You could be an assassin." Eragon accused.

"Eragon, now is not the time for this. You may question him later, when we're not being chased." James growled.

 _"Sen,"_ James said, ducking below a large tree branch as he ran. _"What do you make of all this?"_

 _"The older boy shouldn't have kept this a secret from the younger one for so long. It is causing far too much mistrust, which may end up getting them killed if they must rely on each other in battle, if we are forced to fight the Urgals."_ Sen commented. _"Otherwise, let's hope the Varden doesn't try to kill him or us when we get there."_

The horn sounded behind them again, causing James to curse furiously as they ran. The water fall roared dully ahead of them drowning out the usual sounds of the forest.

The forest ended and Murtagh pulled the horses to a stop. Sen landed next to James. They were on a pebble beach directly left of the mouth of the Beartooth river. A deep lake filled the valley, blocking their way. The water gleamed in the starlight. The mountain walls restricted passage around the lake to a thin strip of shore on either side of the lake, both no more then a few steps wide. At the end of the lake a broad sheet of water tumbled down a black cliff into the lake, causing the water to boil and froth.

"Do we head to the falls?" Murtagh asked tightly.

"Yes." Eragon stated, taking the lead. The pebbles underfoot were damp and slimy, causing James to stumble and nearly loose his balance as he followed the boys. There was barely enough room for Saphira between the sheer valley wall and the lake, she had to walk with two feet in the water. There was very little room for Sen either, but since he was smaller then Saphira, he was able to walk on the shore without having to step in the water.

They were half way to the falls when Murtagh warned, "Urgals!"

James tore his sword out of it's sheath and spun around. By the shore of the lake, where they had been only minutes before, hulking figures streamed out of the forest. The strange horned creatures massed before the lake. One of them pointed at Saphira and Sen; guttural words drifted over the water. Immediately the hoard split and started around both sides of the lake, leaving the group without an escape route. The narrow shore forcing the bulky creatures to march single file.

"Run!" barked Murtagh, drawing his sword and slapping the horses on their flanks. Saphira and Sen suddenly took off without any warning.

James stared in horror. _"What in Gwyn's name are you doing?! Get back here!"_ He shouted mentally, his feelings of dread and worry seeping through the bond. Sen ignored him and continued flying towards the Urgals, his eye blazing orange. Growling, James forced himself to turn around and press forward.

Sen unleashed a torrent of black flames from his mouth, burning one row of Urgals as he flew by. Their screams of agony filled the air as his flames engulfed them. Saphria dived at the other rows of Urgals roaring fiercely. They tried to scatter but were trapped against the mountainside. She caught a Kull in her talons and carried the screaming creature into the air, tearing at it with her fangs. A few moments later the Urgal's lifeless body crashed into the lake, missing an arm and a leg.

Undeterred, the Kull continued around the lake. Sen's eye glowed even brighter as he made another pass, while Saphira dived at them again. They were both forced to twist and roll as a cloud of arrows shot towards them. Most of the sharp missiles bounced off of their scales, only causing minor bruises, though some managed to pierce their wings causing them to roar in pain. Still, Sen managed to pick one up with his magic and held it in front of his eye as he flew, before dropping it lifelessly on it's comrades.

James' arms twinged in pain as the arrows pierced Sen's wings, and he had to stop himself from running to help him. He considered using magic to try and help, but none of the ranged spells he knew were any good against large numbers like this. Frustration burned through him as he saw the line of Urgals closing in on them. He tried to run faster, but the rocks were too slippery for him to do so without losing his balance and falling.

Suddenly, with a loud splash, Saphira dived into the lake. She submerged completely, sending ripples across the water. The Urgals nervously eyed the dark water lapping at their feet. One growled something indecipherable and jabbed his spear at the lake.

The water exploded as Saphira's head shot out from the depths. Her jaws closed on the spear, breaking it like a twig as she tore it out of the Kull's hands with a viscous twist. Before she could seize the Urgal himself, his companions thrust at her with their spears, bloodying her nose.

Saphira jerked back and hissed angerly, beating the water with her tail. Keeping his spear pointed at her, the lead Urgal tried to edge past but halted when she snapped at his legs. The string of Urgals was forced to stop as she held them at bay. Mean while, the Kull on the other side of the lake still hurried towards the falls, only to be bathed in a torrent of black flames as Sen landed in front of them, effectively bringing a halt to their progress as he blocked their path.

 _"I am keeping them at bay, but make haste. I can not hold them forever!"_ Sen informed him. Archers on the beach were already aiming at him and Saphira. James acknowledged him and continued jogging behind the boys towards the waterfall.

Eragon began moving faster but slipped on a rock, though Murtagh caught him before he could fall over. Clasping each other's forearms to help keep each other's balance, the boys began urging the horses forwards with shouts.

They were almost to the waterfall. The noise was absolutely thunderous, like the deafening roar of combat during one of the massive battles James took part in as a Knight of Astora when he was still alive. A white wall of water roared down the cliff side and pounded the rocks below with the fury of a rampaging Taurus demon, sending mist spraying through the air to run down their faces. Four yards from the thunderous curtain and the beach widened giving them more room to maneuver.

Sen hissed in pain as another arrow stabbed into his wing, prompting him to take off as more arrows began streaking towards him. With him gone, the Kull were able to rush forward once more. It was the same on the other side of the lake as well. Saphira roared in pain as a spear grazed her haunch, and disappeared under the water. The Urgals on both sides were getting closer. "What are we going to do now?" Murtagh demanded coldly.

"I don't know, let me think!" cried Eragon, seemingly starting to panic. After a moment he picked up a large rock and began banging on the cliff side next to the falls and began shouting, "Aí Varden abr du Shur'tugals gata vanta!"

Nothing happened.

Eragon tried again, only louder this time. Still nothing happened. Finally he turned to them, despair clear in his eyes and said, "We're trap - " His words were cut off as Saphira lept out of the Lake, dousing them with icy water. She landed on the beach, ready to fight, followed closely by Sen.

The horses back peddled and thrashed wildly, trying to bolt. James cursed violently. Glancing to the side James saw the lead Urgal rushing towards them, heavy spear raised. Up close the Urgal was really big, though James had killed bigger and more powerful in the past. It actually reminded him of a demon somewhat, though it was still vastly different.

James charged towards it with his unnatural speed, his weapon at the ready. In the blink of an eye he thrust his sword forward, stabbing the Kull through the chest with the wet squelch of flesh tearing and the crack of bones breaking. The blade stuck out through it's back. Tearing his sword back out, he let the creature fall to the ground in a heap. A familiar glowing white mist flowed from it's body and into him as he consumed the Urgal's soul.

Eragon raised his hand and shouted, "Jierda theirra kalfis!" Sharp cracks resounded off the cliffs and twenty of the Charging Urgals fell into the lake, howling and clutching their legs were shards of bone protruded. Without breaking stride, the rest of the Urgals advanced over their fallen companions. Eragon leaned against Saphira for support.

A flight of arrows, impossible to see in the darkness, brushed past them and clattered against the cliff. Eragon and Murtagh ducked, covering their heads, while James tore his shield off his back and raised it over him to block any more incoming arrows. Saphira growled and jumped over them so that her armored sides shielded them and the horses. Sen roared and unleashed a torrent of fire at the charging Urgals to hold them off, knowing his flames could not reach the archers on the other side of the lake. A chorus of clinks sounded as a second volley of arrows bounced of of Saphira's scales.

"What now?" Murtagh shouted. There was still no opening in the cliff. "We can't stay here!"

James heard Saphira snarl as an arrow caught the edge of her wing, tearing the thin membrane. Eragon looked around wildly, confusion and fear clear on his face. "I don't know! This is where were supposed to be!"

"Why don't you ask the elf to make sure?" Murtagh demanded, dropping his sword and retrieving a bow from his horses saddle bags. With a swift motion he shot an arrow through the spikes on Saphira's back, a moment later an Urgal toppled into the water.

James shot him a confused look. Elf? That's what they thought he was when they first met. Did he mean the woman? Was she not human? That would explain her pointed ears. Either way, she was still unconscious and wasn't going to wake up any time soon. How could they possibly ask her anything? He shook his head, not understanding what these boys were thinking.

He put his shield on his back and reached into his inventory pouch. Pulling out his Dark Moon talisman, he stood up and drew back his arm as a massive bolt of lightning formed in his hand. Finally he threw it over Saphira at the wet ground beneath the charging Kull, causing it to discharge across the ground, killing five of the Urgals. Great Lightning Spear was one of his favorite miracles, his friend Solair had taught it to him in Anor Londo.

"Now? Even with the poison gone, she's barely alive! How's she going to find the energy to say anything?" Eragon exclaimed.

"I don't _know,_ " Murtagh shouted. "But you'd better think of _something_ because we can't stave off an entire army!"

There was a brief pause, and James threw another Great Lightning Spear, this time in the direction of the archers. Sen continued breathing fire and using his magic on the charging Urgals as much as he could, but he was quickly becoming exhausted.

Eragon slammed his sword back in it's sheath and shouted, "The Varden are on the other side of the lake. We'll have to go through the waterfall!"

James suddenly remembered what the man in Dras-Leona told him about knocking on the right side of the cliff and growled in frustration. Looking across the lake he saw the Urgals on the other side were almost to the waterfall. "Gods damn it!" he muttered under his breath.

Murtagh looked over at the violent wall of water blocking their way. "We'll never get the horses through there, even if we can hold our own footing."

"I'll convince them to follow us and Saphira can carry Arya, and Sen can escort them to ensure Arya doesn't get hurt or killed while all of this is happening." Eragon snapped. The Urgals war cries made the white horse snort angerly. The elf lolled on it's back, oblivious to the situation.

James again didn't know what they meant. How could they possibly convince the horses to follow them? They were animals, they couldn't understand anything anyone said to them! He was going to have to ask them about this later, but for now he simply relayed their plan to Sen.

"It's better then being hacked to death." Murtagh shrugged. He quickly cut Ayra loose from the horses' saddle and Eragon caught her as she slid to the ground. Saphria rose to a half crouch and the Urgals hesitated, unsure of her intentions.

James moved over and picked up Arya and heaved her up onto Saphira's back, Eragon and Murtagh then secured her legs in the saddle straps. The second they were finished, Saphira swept up her wings and soared over the lake, while Sen followed beside her in the path of the archers so neither she or the elf would get hit. The Urgals behind them howled as they saw them escaping. Arrows clattered off Sen's side and underbelly. The Kull on the other side of the lake redoubled their pace to attain the waterfall before they landed. Sen unleashed a torrent of fire in an attempt to slow them down.

After a moment's pause, the horses tossed their heads began dashing into the roaring waterfall, whinnying as it struck their backs. They floundered and struggled to stay above the water. "What in the Abyss?!" James exclaimed in shock. Murtagh sheathed his sword and dived in after them; his head disappeared under the frothing water before he bobbed up, sputtering. With a war cry, Eragon jumped after him.

James stood there for a moment trying to understand what just happened. Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus. Sheathing his sword and stuffing his Darkmoon Catalyst back in his inventory pouch he followed their lead, plunging into the icy water.

He forced himself to stand up and keep walking as the waterfall tore at him, his metal sword, armor, and shield constantly trying to drag him down. He couldn't see anything, so he simply continued to walk straight and hope there were no obstacles in his way. Fortunately, however, the undead did not need to breath, so he was in no danger of drowning, but the same could not be said about the two boys. It wasn't too far of a distance though, so they should be fine as long as they kept moving.

After about a minute or two of being submerged, he finally exited the waterfall. As soon as he did, the sounds of battle erupted to his right. Looking he saw the Urgals on the opposite shore being torn apart by arrows from crevasses that pockmarked the cliff. Hundreds already floated belly up and face down in the water, which was starting to gain a red tinge from all the blood, their bodies riddled with shafts. The ones on this side of the lake were experiencing a similar assault. Neither group could retreat from their exposed positions as rows of warriors had appeared behind them where the lake and mountainsides met. The only things stopping the Kull from rushing at them was the constant hail of arrows - the hidden archers appeared to be determined to keep the Urgals at bay. Glowing white streaks flowed out of the corpses closest to James as he consumed their souls.

Only now did he notice an unusually short and stocky bearded man pulling Eragon out of the water. The strange man wore a chain-mail jacket cut off at the shoulders to reveal muscular arms. A war ax hung from a wide leather belt strapped around his waist. An iron-bound oxhide cap, bearing the symbol of a hammer surrounded by twelve stars, sat firmly on his head. Even with the cap, he barely topped four feet. James remembered the man in Dras-Leona mentioning something about Farthen Dûr being a Dwarven city, could this strange man be a Dwarf?

As they stumbled out of the water, the dwarf looked longingly at the fighting and said, "Barzul, but I wish I could join them!"

James saw Eragon drew his sword, and looked around in confusion, not understanding what the danger was. Finally he noticed that two twelve foot thick doors had opened in the cliff, revealing a broad tunnel nearly thirty feet tall that burrowed it's way into the depths of the mountain. A line of flameless lamps filled the passageway with a pale sapphire light that spilled out onto the lake.

Saphira, Sen, and Murtagh stood before the tunnel, surrounded by a grim mixture of men and Dwarves. At Murtagh's elbow was a bald beardless man dressed in purple and gold robes. He was taller then all the other humans - and he was holding a dagger to Murtagh's throat.

Rage filled James, and he tore his sword out of it's sheath and his shield off his back. They were obviously the Varden, but it seemed they were not as accepting as he hoped but were as hostile as he feared. _"Sen, are you alright? They have not harmed you have they?!"_ He asked through their mental bond. He swore if they hurt Sen, or ever tired to, he would hunt down and kill each and every last member of the Varden right along side the king.

 _"Don't worry, I am unharmed, but they may very well attack us if provoked."_ Sen warned him. James relaxed slightly, knowing they hadn't yet hurt Sen.

"Stop!" The man in the purple robes shouted at Eragon. "If you use magic, I'll kill your lovely friend here, who was so kind as to mention that you two are riders. Though I must say, I have never heard of a dragon that looks like this one eyed monstrosity."

James scowled under his helmet and took a few steps forward, enraged by the man's remark, though stopped as soon as the man snarled pressed the dagger harder against Murtagh's throat. "Do not move unless I tell you to, or I will kill the boy." The bald man commanded. James gritted his teeth and glared at him.

The man chuckled at James' reaction. "Don't think I won't know if you are drawing on your magic, you can't hide anything from me." He continued. Eragon opened his mouth to speak but the man snarled and adjusted his grip on the dagger. "None of that! If you say or do anything I don't tell you to, he will die. Now, everyone inside." He backed into the tunnel pulling Murtagh with him, while keeping his eyes on James and Eragon. The men and Dwarves followed Murtagh's captor leading the horses along with them.

 _"It seems we'll have to play along for now."_ James told Sen.

 _"Indeed. Let's just hope that 'playing along' will not get us killed."_ Sen responded, as he and Saphira walked into the tunnel themselves, eliciting nervous glances from those around them. Reluctantly, he followed them, feeling the warriors' eyes glancing between him and Eragon. The dwarf that had rescued Eragon walked between him and James, his hand on the haft of his war ax.

Utterly furious, James marched silently into the mountain, his armor clanking with every step. The stone doors shut behind them with only a whisper of sound. He turned his head and saw a seamless wall where the opening had been. James thought he could probably smash the door down with Smough's Hammer if he had to, but it would probably take some time, and the others may very well be dead by that point, if the Varden was attacking them. It seemed they were stuck in here, unfortunately it appeared to be just as dangerous as being trapped out there with the Urgals. In fact, he somewhat preferred the Urgals, since at least with them he knew what to expect.


	6. Chapter 6

**My notes: Happy late Thanksgiving! I had this chapter written for like a week but the holiday kinda snuck up on me, sorry. Unfortunately, there is a bit of exposition in this one seeing as this is where they get their memories examined, so James has to explain his curse. Sorry. I did my best to keep it as short as I could while still making sense in terms of the story. Despite that, I hope you enjoy this chapter. P** **lease leave a review telling me what you think of this chapter, and what you think I might be able to improve on. Thanks!  
**

 **Reviews: Hitler's Mustache: James is currently using the Silver Knight armor, the Silver Knight sword, and the Silver Knight shield. He is also wearing the Ring of Steel Protection and the Flame Stoneplate Ring. As for his spells, I am reluctant to actually list those as I would rather figure that out as the story progresses, because while he is meant to be quite powerful I don't want to risk making a mistake and completely remove the tension from certain situations later on because he can just cast a spell and fix it immediately.**

 **Colshan: I see your point. Yeah, I guess the fact he could just buy the information in a bar is kind of ridiculous. Though I think Galbatorix already knew where they were and just didn't wipe them out for whatever reason. I don't remember exactly, its been awhile since I read the entire series, so I could be wrong. Sorry either way.**

 **Cindar: Yes, miracles do work. So does sorcery and pyromancy.  
**

 **Ashura Zero: Wow, I'm glad you like my story so much! Sorry about the spelling errors, I'll try to keep more of an eye out for those.  
**

 **The Lone Swordwolf: Funny you should mention that. James and Sen talk about that very thing in this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or Dark Souls.**

"This way," snapped the bald man. He stepped back, keeping the dagger pressed under Murtagh's chin, then wheeled to the right, disappearing through an arched doorway. The warriors cautiously followed him, keeping their attention centered on James, Eragon, Sen, and Saphira. The horses were lead into a different tunnel.

James glared hatefully after the bald man, but continued to follow him through the arched doorway and down a narrow corridor. The warriors kept their weapons pointed at him and Eragon, though they seemed to focus more on him, probably seeing him as the larger threat due to his armor and how much older and more experienced he looked. They walked past a sculpture of a strange animal with thick quills. The corridor turned sharply to the left then to the right. A door opened and they entered a bare room large enough for Sen and Saphira to move around in with ease. There was a hollow boom as the door closed, followed by a loud scrape as a bolt was secured on the outside.

James examined the room, holding on to his sword and shield tightly, ready to use them in an instant if they were attacked. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of polished marble, that he could see each of their reflections in, like a veined white mirror. One of the strange lanterns hung in each corner.

"There's an injured - " Eragon started, but was cut off by a sharp gesture from the bald man.

"Do not speak! It will have to wait until after you are tested." He shoved Murtagh over to one of the warriors, who put their sword to the boy's neck. The bald man clasped his hands together softly. "Remove your weapons and slide them to me, your helmet as well." A dwarf unbuckled Murtagh's sword and dropped it to the ground with a clank.

James snarled at the man, reluctant to give up his weapons or any piece of his armor, but did as he was told. He didn't technically _need_ his weapons anyways, since he could quite literally tear a person to pieces with his bare hands, he simply preferred to use them. He put his shield on the ground, laying his sword on top of it, before kicking the edge of the shield and sending it sliding towards the warriors, while Eragon did the same with his own weapons. Finally, James took off his helmet, revealing his features, and sent it rolling across the floor to his weapons. He noticed both Eragon and Murtagh looking at him curiously for some reason, before finally realizing they had never seen him without his helmet before.

"Now, step away from your dragons and slowly approach me." The man commanded.

James was both confused and amused by this. He was confused because he didn't understand why the man would want them to approach him, and he was amused because the man didn't realize what kind of danger he was putting himself in by having James get closer to him. When they were about a yard a part, the man said, "Stop there! Now remove any defenses from around your mind and prepare to let me inspect your thoughts and memories. If you try to hide anything from me, I will take what I want by force... Which would drive you mad. If you don't submit, your companion will be killed."

James' expression became grim. How was it possible this man could inspect their thoughts and memories? Was it through something similar to the bond he shared with Sen? Wait, did that mean Sen had access to all of his memories?! If he did then he would know about Kalameet... James, gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus. He would have to worry about that later.

"Why?" asked Eragon, aghast.

"To be sure you are not in Galbatorix's service and to understand why hundreds of Urgals are banging on our front door," The bald man growled. His close set eyes shifted from point to point with cunning speed. "No one may enter Farthen Dûr without being tested."

"There isn't time. We need to get Arya to a healer!" Eragon protested. James supposed that was true. While the poison may not be killing her anymore, she still needed actual treatment, otherwise there was still a chance that she could die.

"Silence!" roared the man, pressing down his robe with thin fingers. "Until you are examined your words are meaningless!"

"But she needs help!" retorted Eragon angerly, pointing at Arya.

"It will have to wait, no one is leaving this room until we discover the truth of the matter. Unless you wish - "

The dwarf who had saved Eragon from drowning jumped forward. "Are you blind Egraz Carn? Can't you see that's an elf on the dragon? We can not keep her here if she's sick or hurt. Ajihad and the king will have our heads if we keep her here while she is in need of treatment!"

The man's eyes tightened with anger. After a moment he relaxed and said smoothly, "Of course, Orik, we wouldn't want to anger them." He snapped his fingers and pointed at Ayra. "Remove her from the dragon." Two human warriors sheathed their swords and approached Saphira, who watched them steadily. "Quickly, quickly!"

The men unstrapped Arya from the saddle and lowered the elf to the floor. One of the men inspected her face and said sharply, "It's the Dragon Egg Courier, Arya!"

"What?" Exclaimed the bald man. The dwarf called Orik's eyes widened with astonishment. The bald man fixed his steely gaze on Eragon. "You have much explaining to do."

Eragon returned the intense stare, determination clear on his face. "She was poisoned with the Skilna Bragh while in prison. After we met him, he gave her a moss that cured the poison, but the damage done by the poison in that time is extensive and she has lost most of her strength. She will still die without proper care."

The bald man's face became inscrutable. He was completely motionless, except for his lips, which twitched occasionally. "Very well. Take her to the healers. Guard her until the ceremony is completed. I will have new orders for you then." The warriors nodded and carried Arya out of the room. James ignored them as they left, completely uninterested in them or Arya at this point, instead continuing to scowl hatefully at the bald man. "Enough of this," The man stated, "we have wasted too much time already. Prepare to be examined."

After a moment Eragon bowed his head and said, "I am ready."

"Good then - "

He was interrupted as Orik said abruptly, "You'd better not harm him Egraz Carn, else the king will have words with you."

The bald man looked at him irritably, then faced Eragon with a small smile that put James on edge. "Only if he resists." He bowed his head and chanted several inaudible words.

Suddenly Eragon gasped in pain and his eyes rolled up back into his head. James growled, wanting to intervene, but stayed his hand. Orik said the man wasn't allowed to kill Eragon or drive him mad, so he knew the boy would be fine. Eragon would just have to suffer through this until it was over.

Minutes went by and finally Eragon shuddered and swayed before falling to the floor. Orik caught him before he could hit the ground and carefully lowered him to the marble floor. Orik turned to the bald man once more, anger clear on his face. "You went too far! He wasn't strong enough for this."

"He'll live, that's all that is needed." the bald man responded curtly.

Orik grunted angerly. "What did you find?"

The man stayed silent.

"Well, is he to be trusted or not?"

"He... is not your enemy." The man stated reluctantly. There were audible sighs of relief through out the room.

Eragon's eyes fluttered open and he gingerly pushed himself up off the floor. "Easy now," Orik said, helping him to his feet. Eragon wove unsteadily, glaring at the bald man. A low growl rumbled in Saphira's throat.

The bald man ignored them and turned to James. "You are next."

James chuckled grimly. "Very well. Just know, I will not be nearly as easy a target as the boy."

The bald man glared at him. "We shall see." The man bowed his head once more and chanted inaudibly.

A mental probe tore into James' mind, the pain was excruciating but he kept his eyes locked on the bald man, refusing to let his gaze falter even for a second. James could feel the man probing his memories. It was like someone was twisting a dagger in his skull.

The man examined his earliest memories, going back all the way to his childhood and working it's way to his time as a knight. Eventually the probe reached his memories of the curse and the very first time he died and when he first became undead. The probe seemed to reel back in horror, though it continued to sift through his memories. It finally reached his time in the Undead Asylum and later Lordran.

James began intentionally throwing memories at the probe, ignoring the pain entirely. Each and every one of his deaths, all of the hellish pain he had to endure, every friend he had lost, everything he had killed, all the souls he had consumed. He especially made the man focus on his battles with Gwyndoline, Manus, Nito, the Four Kings, and finally Kalameet. That lead into how he came to this world and his time here, leading up to when he and the others first arrived at the Varden, though he intentionally avoided showing the man anything relating to Murtagh's past. Fortunately the man seemed to overwhelmed by everything else James was showing him to notice he had kept that memory from him.

Finally the probe broke contact and the bald man stumbled back in shock. Regaining his balance he stared wide-eyed at James, his face completely devoid of any other expression. "Y-your not human!" the man stuttered seemingly still trying to comprehend everything the man showed him. The warriors shifted nervously at seeing the man react like this.

"What do you mean he's not human? Can we trust him or not?" Orik demanded, his hand on the haft of his war ax.

"Actually, he's wrong about that. I am cursed, but I am still human. If you would allow me, I shall explain and when I am finished he can confirm the validity of my story. It shouldn't take very long. Is that acceptable?" James requested. It was impossible to avoid them learning about his curse, especially now, so he might as well explain it to them himself and keep the bald man from using the information against him some how, besides it may help him build their trust.

Orik glanced at the bald man who still seemed to be recovering from examining James' mind. "Very well. I suppose there should be no harm in it." The dwarf shrugged.

"Thank you." James stated. "As I said, technically I am human, but due to my curse I am also undead. This means I am unable to die, and that if I am ever killed I will simply come back, even if my body is destroyed. Because I am undead I am much _much_ faster, stronger, and durable then a normal human. I also have nearly limitless endurance and I do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or even breath. My curse also gives me the ability to consume or collect the souls of those I kill or that die near me to become even more powerful, if I so choose." He explained, ignoring the looks of horror and disbelief from the warriors.

"However, from the moment I was cursed, I was doomed to lose my sanity and go hollow. A hollow is a mindless soul consuming monster that wanders the land aimlessly, killing everything it comes across, excluding other hollows. However, this can be staved off indefinitely as long as an undead has a purpose and does not give into despair and hopelessness."

James then motioned to Eragon. "He has said that it is impossible to bring back the dead with magic, and that may be true in this world. However, me and Sen, my dragon, do not come from this world and magic works very differently in ours. In fact it is absolutely commonplace for the dead to come back to life, as the very same curse that I am inflicted with extends to all humans from my world, and is currently laying waste to our world as a result."

James looked down at his right hand for a moment, before letting it fall back to his side and continuing. "Shortly after an individual dies for the very first time, the curse activates and they will come back to life. Only a lucky few are overlooked by the curse and actually get to stay dead. The only known way to stop it is for an undead to kill the four bearers of the Lord Souls, all of which are either gods or beings with godlike power, to take their souls and use them to unlock the Kiln of the First Flame. I have killed two of them already. Once the Kiln is unlocked the undead must enter and defeat Lord Gwyn, the God of the Sun and Cinders, and relight the First Fire."

James sighed and shook his head. "That _was_ my purpose, but now that me and Sen are trapped here, that purpose is gone. Fortunately I discovered this land was ruled by a mad tyrant, the one you called Galbatorix, and that the Varden were trying to overthrow him. My new purpose is the same as the Varden's, I seek to overthrow and kill him, and I believe the best way to accomplish this is by joining the Varden. In the meantime since this world's magic is so different I am also hoping to find a cure for my curse, or failing that, a way back to our world, or a far less temporary purpose, while working with the Varden."

Orik's expression was grim as he listened to James. "That is quite the tale, though I find it difficult to believe." He looked at the bald man. "Well, is it true?" He asked.

The man sneered at James though fear still showed clear in his eyes. "It is." He growled. Nervous muttering and gasps of shock and horror filled the room immediately after he said this. "You heard what he said, what he is... Even if he does not serve Galbatorix, he is a clear threat, and not just to the Varden but to all life in Alagaësia! We must destroy him, immediately. I'm sure both Ajihad and your king will agree with me on this."

Sen growled, his eye flaring with fiery orange light. "Destroy me? And how exactly do you plan to do that?" James said in a deathly serious voice, a dangerous expression on his face. "You saw my memories, you know you can not kill me. Besides which, I have faced and killed gods in combat, and compared to them you are _nothing_."

"Enough!" Orik shouted. "You overstep your bounds Egraz Carn. If he does not serve Galbatorix, you have no right to order his execution, whether he is cursed or not. Besides, as he said, there may yet be a way to cure or control his curse." The man seemed as though he was about to object, but then clenched his hands into tight fists and scowled silently.

Orik eyed James warily. "He is right though, your curse does make you very dangerous. We can't risk you consuming the souls of our fallen warriors, nor can we risk having you 'go hollow' and attacking us."

"There is no risk of that, I have some control over my ability to consume souls. In a large battle I can either consume the souls of just my enemies, and leave those of my allies untouched, or just not consume souls at all. And as long as I have my purpose, there is no risk of me going hollow." Jame assured him.

"Even still, I will have to inform Ajihad and the king of you and your situation. They will decide what to do with you." Orik stated. James nodded in acknowledgement, simply glad they weren't going to put him in chains and lock him up just yet.

The bald man ignored them. He turned to Murtagh who was still being held at sword point. "It is your turn now."

Murtagh stiffened and shook his head, causing a line of blood to roll down his neck as the sword cut him slightly. "No."

"You will not be protected here if you refuse."

"Eragon has been declared trustworthy, as has James to some extent, so you can not threaten to kill them to convince me, not that it would truly matter much in James' case. Since you can't do that, there is nothing you can say or do to convince me."

The bald man sneered. "What of your own life? I can still threaten that."

"It won't do any good." Murtagh stated with such stone faced conviction that it was impossible to doubt his word.

The bald man's breath exploded angerly. "You don't have a choice!" He stepped forward and placed his palm on Murtagh's brow, clenching his hand to hold him in place. Murtagh stiffened, face growing hard as iron, fists clenched, the muscles in his neck bulging. He was obviously fighting the attack with all his might. The bald man bared his teeth in fury and frustration at the resistance. His fingers digging into Murtagh.

James tightened his fists but once more restrained himself. If he intervened it would likely end with them killing Murtagh. Sen growled, black smoke drifting up from his nostrils, sending his own frustration and displeasure with the situation through their mental bond, apparently wanting to put an end to this as much as James.

Orik scowled darkly as he watched the two warring men. "Ilf carnz orodüm," he muttered, then lept forward and cried, "That is enough!" He grabbed the bald man's arm and tore him away from Murtagh with strength disproportionate to his size.

The bald man stumbled back and turned on Orik furiously. "How dare you!" He shouted. "You questioned my leadership, opened the gates without permission, now this! You have shown nothing but insolence and treachery. Do you think your king will still protect you now?"

Orik bristled. "You would have let them die! If I had waited any longer, the Urgals would have killed them." He pointed at Murtagh who's breath came in great heaves. We don't have any right to torture him for information! Ajihad won't sanction it. Not after you examined the riders and found them free of fault, minus an otherworldly curse that may yet be cured. _And_ they brought us Arya."

"Would you allow him to enter unchallenged? Are you so great a fool as to put us all at risk?" The bald man demanded. His eyes were feral with loosely chained rage; he looked ready to tear the dwarf to pieces.

"Can he use magic?"

"That's not - "

"Can he use magic?" roared Orik, his deep voice echoing throughout the room. The bald man's face grew expressionless. He clasped his hands softly behind his back.

"No."

"Then what do you fear? It's impossible for him to escape and he can't work any devilry with all of us here, especially if your powers are as great as you say. But don't listen to me; ask Ajihad what he wants done."

The bald man stared at Orik for a moment, his face indecipherable, then looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes. An odd stiffness set into his shoulders while his lips moved soundlessly. An intense frown wrinkled the pale skin above his eyes, and his fingers clenched as if he was throttling an invisible enemy. For several minutes he stood that way, seemingly wrapped in silent communication.

When his eyes snapped open he ignored Orik and snapped at the warriors. "Leave now!" He turned and addressed James and Eragon coldly. "Because I was unable to complete my examination, you two and your... friend will remain here for the night. He will be killed if he tries to leave." With that, the man stalked out of the room, his pale skin gleaming in the lantern light.

Eragon whispered something to Orik. The Dwarf grunted and said, "I'll make sure food is brought." He muttered a string of words under his breath, then left shaking his head. The bolt was secured on the outside of the door.

James sighed and walked over to Sen. Stroking the young dragon on the back of the neck. "It looks like the Varden aren't going to try to kill us after all."

Sen chuckled with a low pulsing growl, and laid down on the marble floor. _"That is good... for them. We would have slaughtered them if they had tried."_ He joked.

James smirked and rolled his eyes, sitting down next to Sen. "Yes. I suppose we would have."

Looking at the others he saw Saphira settle nest to Eragon who had sat right where he had been standing, while Murtagh leaned against a far wall, his eyes glazed and empty, before he slid to the floor. He held his sleeve to his throat to stop the bleeding. "Are you alright?" asked Eragon. Murtagh nodded jerkily. "Did he get anything from you?"

"No."

"How were you able to keep him out? He's so strong."

"I've... I've been well trained." Murtagh said bitterly.

Silence engulfed the room for some time. "I didn't let them know who you are." Eragon stated, finally breaking the silence.

"And you James?" Murtagh inquired nervously.

"I did not." James shook his head.

Murtagh looked relieved. He bowed his head. "Thank you both for not betraying me."

"They didn't recognize you?" Eragon asked.

"No."

"And you still say you are Morzan's son?"

"Yes." Murtagh sighed.

Eragon started to speak but stopped when a drop of blood fell from Saphira's wing onto his hand. James frowned, he knew Sen was injured as well but he could do nothing to help him. He didn't know any healing miracles, and the only things he had for injuries was his Estus Flask, Humanity Sprites, and the Sanctus which he took off Paladin Leroy in the tomb of giants, none of which healed anything other then the undead. Besides which, he needed to conserve his Estus since there was no way he could refill his flask once it was empty as bonfires did not exist in this world.

Eragon stood up and Saphira extended one of her wings, lowering it to the floor. James watched as Eragon ran his hand over the thin blue membrane saying, "Waíse heill," whenever he found an arrow hole. Once all of Saphira's wounds were healed, Eragon looked over at James with a confused expression. "Aren't you going to heal Sen?"

James shook his head. "I can't. I don't know any healing miracles and what healing items I have only work on the undead."

"Oh. Well, I suppose I can heal him if you would like." Eragon offered.

James turned his head and looked at Sen. _"Would you like Eragon to heal you?"_ He asked through their mental bond.

Sen raised his head to look at Eragon. _"Hmm. Very well, as long as he is careful."_

James stood up to get out of the way and looked back at Eragon. "Sen says you may, so long as you are careful."

"It won't take but a minute." Eragon stated, walking over to Sen who extended his wings so the boy could easily see all the arrow holes. When Eragon finished, Sen folded his wings back to the side and James sat down beside him once more. Eragon then did the same, going over to sit down next to Saphira. "You know, you are a Dragon Rider like me. You should be able to our world's magic as well. I do not know very much, but I can teach you what little I do know, if you would like."

James thought for a moment. "Hmm... Very well. If I really do have the ability, it would be good to learn how to use this world's magic. Later though, after we are released."

They all sat in silence.

After a few minutes went by, Murtagh said, "I hope they bring food soon."

"Why are you here?" Eragon asked him.

"What?"

"If you really are Morzan's son, Galbatorix wouldn't just let you wander around Alagaësia freely. How is it that you managed to find the Ra'zac by your self? Why is it I've never heard of any of the Forsworn having children? And what are you doing here?" His voice was in a near shout at the end.

Murtagh ran a hand over his face. "It's a long story."

"We're not going anywhere." Eragon rebutted.

"It's too late for stories."

"There probably won't be time for it tomorrow."

Murtagh wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees, rocking back and forth as he stared at the floor. "It's not a - " he said, then interrupted himself. "I don't want to stop... so make yourself comfortable. My story will take a while."

At this point James tuned them out. He wasn't in the mood for this. All his patience had been used up earlier while being held at spear point and dealing with the bald man. He had no interest in the boy's past.

Murtagh was the son of someone named Morzan who was a member of a group called the Forsworn who served this land's king before being killed by some man named Brom, whom he assumed was the one who gave Eragon Morzan's sword. That was all that really mattered. He had no idea why Eragon had such a hard time accepting this. Nobles and those in positions of power often kept the fact they had children secret for various reasons, it was basic politics. Besides there was something far more pressing that James needed to look into.

 _"Sen,"_ James stated. _"I need to ask you something."_

 _"What is it?"_ Sen inquired.

 _"Since that man was able to look at our memories like that, it made me wonder. Can you also see my memories through our mental link, or are you limited to just feeling my emotions and hearing my thoughts when I let you?"_

 _"Yes, I can see all of your memories. I am honestly surprised you did not know this already. I believe you should be able to see all of mine as well if you try."_

James grimaced and looked down at the floor. _"I was afraid of that... So you know about - "_

 _"My mother Kalameet and what befell her, yes."_ Sen cut him off, turning his head to look at James.

 _"I am so sorry... I didn't have a choice. Countless innocents died because of her, and there would have been countless more if I didn't stop her."_

 _"I know, James. As I said, I can see all of your memories, I know what she was like and everything she did. In the end, her fate was justified. I do not harbor any ill feelings towards you for killing her, nor do I mourn her death. She was a monster and had to be stopped. The fact that she is my mother does not change this in the least."_

James turned and wrapped his arms around Sen's neck, embracing him. _"Thank you, Sen. Just know that despite what terrible things she may have done, she still fought to her very last breath to defend you. She loved you very dearly, as do I."_

 _"I love you too James."_ Sen stated, nuzzling him affectionately.

With that, James released Sen, and turned back around, while Sen laid his head in James' lap. James stroked the back of Sen's neck absentmindedly, glad to have gotten that out of the way. They stayed like that for some time while Eragon and Murtagh talked, James occasionally picking up bits and pieces of what they were saying as he let his mind wander to pass the time. Eventually the door opened a small ways and three bowls were pushed through along with a loaf of bread and two hunks of raw meat. The door shut immediately afterwards

"Finally!" grumbled Murtagh, going to the food. He tossed one chunk of meat to Sen and one to Saphira, both of which snapped their hunk of meat out of the air and swallowed them whole. Murtagh tore the loaf of bread in half, gave one to Eragon, picked up his bowl, and retreated to a corner.

The boys ate silently before Murtagh announced, "I'm going to bed." putting down his bowl without another word.

"Good night." Eragon said before laying down next to Saphira, who curled her long neck around him and extended one of her wings over him.

 _"Sleep well."_ James said, as Sen curled up beside him. Tomorrow was likely going to be a busy day for all of them, they all needed a good nights rest. They had certainly more then earned it.


	7. Chapter 7

**My notes: This chapter was a bit tedious to write, mainly because there is so much description about architecture, but I'm glad it's finally finished. Well I hope you guys enjoy it. Please leave a review telling me what you think and if there is anything I can improve on, I would really appreciate it.**

 **Reviews: Cindar: I'm thinking reading the mind of an undead would be like the opposite of reading the mind of an Elf. Instead of getting drawn further in, you want to get out as quickly as possible. There is lingering trauma in that the bald man is probably going to have nightmares from reading James' mind, and is now is extremely afraid of him, but that's about it. Undead used to be human after all. Miracles work in Dark Souls 2 and 3 even though all the gods are supposed to be dead, so I don't see why not. I guess they aren't being eavesdropped on? Apparently they weren't in the book, and I wrote it just like the book.**

 **Robot Sparky: James doesn't need to eat, so they all basically ignored the third bowl.**

 **Zapper3000380: I'm sorry you think that, but it wasn't an idiot ball, there was a reason for it. He would have smashed it were he still in Lordran, but something was interfering with his mind when he arrived in** **Alagaësia, preventing him from doing so. I tried to hint at that in chapter 1, but I guess I wasn't clear enough. Sorry, about that. *Spoilers if you haven't finished the book series and for later in this crossover.* (The Eldunar** **í hidden in the Vault of Souls on Vroengard detected him and Sen's egg upon their arrival and stopped him from smashing it.)  
**

 **Guest: Lol. Sorry, I guess. I was trying to pick a realistic name for a knight of that time period that wasn't too over the top. James just sounded good to me at the time.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Souls or the Inheritance Cycle.**

About an hour or two after Sen and the others all finally fell asleep James was starting to get bored. Finally he took a cloth and some oil out of his inventory pouch along with his Gold Tracer, his second favorite single handed weapon next to his fully reinforced Silver Knight Sword, which he unfortunately still hadn't gotten back yet. Pouring some oil on the cloth before storing it away once more, he began polishing the eternally sharp enchanted golden blade to pass the time. Once he was satisfied with his work, he stuffed the blade back in his inventory pouch and began polishing what he could easily reach of his his Silver Knight armor, which he was still wearing, occasionally taking out the oil once more and reapplying it to the cloth when necessary.

About an hour and a half after James finished polishing his equipment, Eragon slid out from under Saphira's wing, being careful not to wake her. "Morning." Murtagh said quietly, sitting up as Eragon moved around Saphira.

"How long have you been awake?" Eragon asked in a hushed tone.

"Awhile. I'm surprised Sen and Saphira didn't wake you sooner." Murtagh stated, glancing at the two sleeping dragons which were both snoring loudly.

"Yesterday was exhausting, I was tired enough to sleep through a thunder storm," Said Eragon wryly. He sat by Murtagh and rested his head against the wall. "James, you have been awake this entire time, right? Do you know what time it is?"

James shook his head. "Sun rise or early morning maybe? It is quite difficult to tell in here, and my sense of time is far below average at best. It be anywhere from dusk to dawn for all I know."

"Has anybody come to see us?"

"I would have awoken everyone if they had."

The room was silent for a few moments and Saphira finally woke up. She and Eragon looked at each other for a couple of moments, likely communicating through their mental link. Finally she got up and positioned herself by the door settling down to wait, her tail flicking.

"Forgive me for asking, but there are various things I do not fully understand." James stated breaking the silence. Since they weren't likely to be called on for a while he decided now would be a good chance to ask some questions. "For example, how was that bald man able to read our minds? You also managed to have the horses to run into the waterfall on their own, however it did not seem as though you actually did anything to them. How is this, and are they related somehow?"

"Hmm?" Eragon looked over at him. "I simply touched their minds and used the Ancient Language to tell them that if they didn't swim through the waterfall they would be killed and eaten by the Urgals. It is essentially the same as how a rider can communicate with their dragon. It can be used to communicate with or read the minds of people as well, as that man did. Supposedly anybody can learn how to do it whether they are a rider, can use magic, or not."

James frowned to himself. He didn't like the idea that anybody could enter his or Sen's mind at will. "What is this, 'Ancient Language', and why do even animals respond to it?" He inquired.

Eragon stayed silent for a moment, likely thinking how to explain it, before he finally explained what he knew about how it related to magic, how you couldn't lie when using it, and why animals understood and listened to it.

James was astounded, this world's magic differed far more greatly from his world's magic then he had thought.

Before he could ask any more questions, Sen stirred beside him. He stretched a bit to help wake himself up before forcing himself up and sitting next to James.

 _"Good morning, James."_ Sen stated drowsily. He shifted his wings into a more comfortable position. _"Sitting in this tiny room like this is rather dull. When do you think we will be allowed out of here so I may go hunting?"_ He inquired.

 _"I'm not entirely certain. However, even when they do come to retrieve us, I doubt you will be able to hunt for some time. We will still may have to meet with this Ajihad fellow since he is the leader of the Varden, and perhaps even this Dwarf King since we shall be staying in his territory. Plus we will have to be shown around to learn where everything is and what our duties are, if they decide to accept us into the Varden. After that, we may or may not have some time to our selves. Untill then please try to be patient."_ James replied.

Sen huffed in irritation. _"If I must..."_

Not long after that they heard voices outside the room. The door opened and a dozen warriors marched inside. The first man gulped in fear as he saw Saphira who was settled so close to the door. They were followed by Orik and the bald man, who declared, "You have been summoned to Ajihad, leader of the Varden. If you must eat, do so while we march." James and the others all stood up. Eragon and Murtagh were watching the man warily while James simply glared at him hatefully.

"Where are our horses? And can I have my sword and bow back?" asked Eragon.

The bald man looked at him with disdain. "Your weapons will be returned when Ajihad sees fit, not before. As for your horses, they await you in the tunnel. Now come!"

As he turned to leave, Eragon asked quickly, "How is Arya?"

The bald man hesitated, "As you said, she has lost much of her strength from the poison, so the healers are still with her for the moment. However it seems she will recover, she simply needs rest for the moment. If you hadn't managed to cure the poison before reaching us, her chances of survival would be questionable at best." He exited the room, accompanied by Orik.

One of the warriors motioned. "You go first." James shrugged slightly and walked through the door, followed by Sen. Eragon and Saphira were next, and Murtagh was last. They marched through the same corridor they had come through the night before in silence. When they reached the huge tunnel through which they had first entered the mountain, the bald man was waiting with Orik, who held the two horses' reigns.

"You will ride single file down the center of the tunnel," instructed the bald man. "If you attempt to go anywhere else, you will be stopped." When James and Eragon attempted to climb on their respective dragons, the bald man shouted, "No! Ride your horses until I tell you otherwise." He sneered at James, taking a nervous step back unconsciously. "Since you don't have a horse, you will simply have to walk."

James rolled his eyes, stepping in front of Sen. _"Be cautious. I do not believe this to be a trap, but it is always wise to prepare for the worst."_ He told the young dragon mentally.

 _"Naturally."_ Sen responded.

Eragon and Murtagh mounted their horses and took their places in the line. The bald man examined their small line then gestured at the warriors, who divided in half to surround them, giving Saphira and Sen as wide a birth as possible. Orik and the bald man went to the head of the procession.

After looking them over once more, the bald man clapped twice and started walking forward. The entire group headed toward the heart of the mountain. Echos filled the tunnel as James' armor clanked with every step and the horses' hooves struck the hard floor, the sounds amplified in the deserted passage way. Doors and gates occasionally disturbed the smooth walls, but they were always closed.

James was rather impressed by the skill with which the tunnel had been carved out — the walls, floor, and ceiling were carved with great precision. The angles at the base of the wall were perfectly square, the arch in the ceiling was nearly flawless, and as far as he could tell, the tunnel it's self did not very from it's straight course by much if at all. It almost if not truly rivaled the work of the sorcerers of Vinheim. He wondered if the Dwarves had used magic to create this tunnel. It would be rather odd that they would put so much care and effort into mining a simple tunnel if they hadn't.

For nearly an hour the bald man lead them through the tunnel, never straying nor turning. _'How far are we going to have to walk?'_ James thought to himself. Growing bored, he began to discuss strategies to combat certain gods and other powerful beings which he had fought with in the past in different terrains and conditions, with Sen to pass the time. Finally a soft white glow became visible ahead of them, though it was still too far away for James to make out any detail. He considered taking out his binoculars to get a better look, but decided against it. He didn't want to risk provoking the warriors by taking anything out of his inventory pouch.

Eventually he could see thick marble pillars laced with rubies and amethysts standing in rows along the walls. Hundreds of lanterns hung between the pillars, filling the room with light. Gold tracery ran across the pillars' bases like woven thread. Arching over the ceiling were carved raven heads, their beaks open in mid-screech. At the end of the hallway stood two massive black doors, accented by polished silver lines that depicted a seven-pointed crown that spanned both sides.

Once again, James could not help but be impressed by the Dwarves skill and craftsmanship, though he found their rather excessive use of precious metals and gems rather gaudy and tasteless. Still, it couldn't hold a candle to the inhumanly breath taking craftsmanship of the gods that had built Anor Londo, but then nothing made by mortal hands could. Even the best works of the sorcerers of Vinheim, which the Dwarves rivaled, paled in comparison.

The bald man stopped and raised a hand. He turned to James and Eragon. "You will ride upon your dragons now. You will walk side by side. Do not attempt to fly away. There will be people watching, so remember who and what you are."

James and Eragon climbed up on to their respective dragons, and Saphira moved to stand next to Sen. James was somewhat glad he had polished his armor earlier. Hearing that there was going to be a crowd made him somewhat excited. It reminded him of the parades that used to be held by the royal family in Astora's capital occasionally during celebrations and after large victories in which he and the other knights would march proudly through the streets to the sound of cheers from the eager citizens and music played by the best minstrels in the kingdom whom would march along side them. After that, through out the rest of the day games and tournaments between knights and warriors would be held until the sun went down, at which point there would be a huge feast with excellent food and drink and beautiful music.

Those were truly some of the best memories he had from when he was still alive, even as a child watching and cheering from the crowd with his mother as his father and older brothers marched by or as they participated in the tournaments. They were far more rare an occasion then those held in Catarina, but they were easily just as grand. Unfortunately, it had been many, many decades since a parade or any large celebration was last held in Astora. Ever since the gods cursed mankind with undeath, it had become nigh impossible to hold such events for fear of attacks by hollows, demons, and other such monstrosities. Besides which, the knights were far too busy attempting to maintain order in the kingdom which was now constantly on the verge of chaos and protecting villages which were being attacked by hoards of hollows and skeletons to be bothered with such trivial matters. It was truly a shame.

James didn't expect this to be such a big event, those parades were only held during celebrations after all, and this could hardly be called a parade. He assumed there wouldn't be any music, games, or tournaments, let alone a feast. He knew the Varden likely just wanted to show them off as a display of power and to boost their people's morale, as it seemed that dragon riders were quite rare. Still he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia, which made him quite thrilled at the prospect.

 _"This will be your first time being seen by a large number of people, Sen. Be sure to display your self proudly and confidently. Do not show any sign of hesitation."_ James told him through their mental bond.

 _"That goes without saying. As a dragon and as the son of Kalameet whom even the gods themselves feared to provoke, I would accept nothing less."_ Sen chuckled in amusement, causing the warriors to back away slightly and tighten their grip on their weapons.

"I'm ready." Eragon stated, squaring his shoulders.

"As am I." James nodded.

"Good." said the bald man. He and Orik retreated to either side of Saphira and Sen, staying far enough back to show they were clearly in the lead. "Now walk to the doors, and once they open, follow the path. Go slowly."

Saphira and Sen approached the doors at a measured pace. Saphira's scales sparkled in the light, sending glints of blue dancing over the pillars. Sen's pure black scales shimmered in the the light, but did not reflect like Saphira's did. This disparity between the two dragons, along with their unique features provided them with two very distinct atmospheres. Saphira with her brilliant blue scales and lithe but powerful features gave off an intimidating air of predatory grace, beauty, and elegance that is often expected of dragons. In stark contrast, despite being somewhat smaller, Sen, with his grim black scales and single fiery orange eye in the center of his skull gave off an almost nightmarish aura of death and menace as if he was the physical embodiment of calamity its self, though it wasn't yet nearly as intense as it had been with Kalameet. James was certain the crowed would be awed by the sight of the two dragons.

Without warning, the doors swung outwards on hidden joints. As the rift widened between them, rays of sunlight streamed into the tunnel, falling on Sen, James, Saphira, and Eragon. Momentarily blinded, James blinked and waited for his eyes to adjust to the brighter light.

When he could finally see again, he was surprised to see they were inside a massive volcanic crater. It's walls narrowed to a small ragged opening miles above them, which allowed the sunlight to enter, illuminating the center of the crater.

Lowering his gaze he saw a wide cobblestone path extending from the door's thresh hold, around which was clustered a dense sea of people. Lining the cobblestone path were hundreds, if not thousands of humans and Dwarves, packed together like trees in a thicket. Every one of them was focused on him and Eragon, and they were all dead silent.

He adjusted his position on Sen's back. There were children in dirty smocks, men with scarred knuckles, women in homespun dresses, and stout, weathered Dwarves who fingered their beards. They all wore taut expressions, like that of an injured animal when a predator is nearby and escape is impossible.

As he looked at the crowed he heard Orik say, "Look well, humans, for no Rider has set eyes upon this for nigh over a hundred years. The airy peak under which we stand is Farthen Dûr— discovered thousands of years ago by the father of our race, Korgan, while he tunneled for gold. And in the center stands our greatest achievement: Tronjheim, the city-mountain built from the purest marble." The doors ground to a halt.

Confused by his words, James looked up from the crowd and saw a snowy-white mountain that glittered in the distance with thousands of colored lights. It was less then a tenth of the height that loomed over and around it, though its diminutive appearance was deceiving as it was slightly higher then a mile. That was a city? He wondered how he failed to notice it until now.

Looking back at the crowd, he assumed by their wary behavior that they were intimidated by Sen and Saphira. Perhaps he should attempt to reassure them. He smiled and raised his hand and waved. Eragon seemed to follow his lead though he appeared nervous and his motions were stiff and twitchy. Oddly, nothing happened. James scratched the back of his head in confusion, while Eragon flushed in embarrassment, and ducked his head.

A single cheer broke the silence. Someone clapped loudly. The crowd hesitated, then a wild roar swept through it.

"Very good." said the bald man from behind them. "Now start walking."

Eragon sat up straighter, looking relieved. James smiled once more and patted Sen. _"Let's go."_ he said through their bond. Sen held his head up high and stepped forward along side Saphira. As they walked, Saphira glanced at each side and exhaled a puff of smoke. The crowd shrank back, then resumed cheering, their enthusiasm only intensified.

Glancing at her Sen huffed, his irritation seeping through his mental bond with James. Not to be out done, his eye began to glow brightly. Spreading his wings wide, he flapped and stood up on his hind legs, forcing James to grip one of his neck spikes just to stay on his back. Roaring, he unleashed a stream of black fire straight up into the air for a moment before cutting it off and continuing down the path once more. The crowed grew silent, some of the cheers turned to screams of terror for a few moments. When the crowd finally realized they were safe, the cheers resumed once more, just as enthusiastic as before.

Saphira glared daggers at Sen, flicking her tail in irritation, while Eragon seemed to be on the verge of laughter. _"Was that_ truly _necessary?"_ James demanded.

 _"Yes."_ Sen responded smugly.

James shook his head in exasperation, examining the crowd as they moved down the path. All the men had daggers or knives at their waists; many were armed for war. The women carried themselves proudly, but they seemed to conceal a deep-abiding weariness. The few children and babies stared at James and Eragon with large eyes. One thing he noticed above all else was the fact that the vast majority of them still seemed to have life in their eyes. They still had hope or at least the capacity for hope left in them, especially the children. It hadn't yet been crushed out of them yet as it had been in far too many people from his world, and he prayed to whatever gods this world may have that it never would be.

The crowd followed close behind them, giving Sen and Saphira plenty of room. Gradually the people quieted though their attention remained on James and Eragon.

They neared the city-mountain, and James saw that the white marble of Tronjheim was highly polished and shaped into flowing contours, as if it had been poured into place. It was dotted with countless round windows framed by elaborate carvings. A colored lantern hung in each window, casting a soft glow on the surrounding rock. No turrets or smokestacks were visible. Directly ahead, two thirty-foot-high gold statues of strange looking creatures guarded a massive timber gate — recessed twenty yards into the base of Tronjheim — which was shadowed by thick trusses that supported an arched vault far overhead.

When they reached Tronjheim's base, Saphira and Sen paused to see if the bald man had any instructions. When none were forthcoming, they continued to the gate. The walls were lined with fluted pillars of crimson jasper. Between the pillars hulked statues of outlandish and alien creatures, preserved in time forever in stone, gems, and precious metals.

The heavy gate began to rise slowly as it was pulled open by some unseen mechanism. A four-story-high passageway extended straight toward the center of Tronjheim. The top three levels were pierced by rows of archways that revealed gray tunnels curving off into the distance. Clumps of people filled the arches, eagerly watching Eragon, James, Saphira, and Sen. The archways on the ground level, however, were barred by stout doors. Rich tapestries that wouldn't look out of place in any king's castle hung between different levels, embroidered with heroic figures and tumultuous battle scenes.

A cheer rang in their ears as Sen and Saphira stepped into the hall and paraded down it. James and Eragon raised their hands, eliciting another roar from the throng, though many of the Dwarves did not join in the welcoming shout. James wondered why. Had he and Eragon unwittingly done something to offend them, perchance?

He considered this as they finally reached the end of the mile-long hall, and entered a huge circular room, that reached up to Tronjheim's peak. Looking down as he thought to himself, he noticed the floor was made of polished carnelian, upon which a hammer encircled by twelve silver stars, like on Orik's helm, was etched. These Dwarves really seemed to love using gems and other precious materials in their architecture, he decided.

This room was a nexus for four hallways—including the one they had just exited—that divided Tronjheim into quarters. The halls appeared to be identical, except for the one opposite James. To the right and left of that hall were tall arches that opened to descending stairs, which mirrored each other as they curved underground.

The ceiling was capped by a dawn-red star sapphire of monstrous size. The jewel was twenty yards across and nearly as thick. It's face had been carved to resemble a rose in full bloom, and so skilled was the craftsmanship, the flower almost appeared to be real. A wide belt of lanterns wrapped around the edge of the sapphire, which cast bands of light over everything below. The flashing rays of the star within the gem made it appear as if a giant eye gazed down at them.

This was far superior to everything else he had seen of what the Dwarves had made by far. It had to have been made using magic, he decided. No craftsman, no matter how skilled could possibly make something like this using normal tools. Even using magic though, he could tell the one who made it put much time, effort, and borderline excessive care into creating this masterpiece. It was a work of art truly on par with the works of the craftsman gods of Anor Londo.

The bald man walked in front of Sen and Saphira and said, "You must go on foot from here." There was scattered booing from the crowd as he spoke. A dwarf took the horses away. James slid off of Sen's back, but stayed by his side as the bald man led them across the carnelian floor to the right-hand hallway.

They followed to for several hundred feet, then entered a smaller corridor. Their guards remained despite the cramped space. After four sharp turns, they came to a massive cedar door, stained black with age. The bald man pulled it open and conducted everyone but the guards inside.


End file.
